Reports: Real Madrid approach Julen Lopetegui successor

What's the rumour?

According to Sky Sports, Real Madrid have already approached the former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte with regard to his availability should Julen Lopetegui be sacked by the Spanish giants.

If the aforementioned report is to be believed, Conte is at the top of Florentino Perez's wish list to replace Real Madrid's current head coach Julen Lopetegui, who has endured a torrid season so far.

In case you didn't know...

Real Madrid have got off to a disappointing start in La Liga this season, having only managed 4 wins in 9 league games so far. Consequently, they stand 7th on La Liga table, four points adrift of the leaders Barcelona.

Their recent 2-1 defeat to Levante at home marked their third loss the league and also set the record for the longest goal-drought in the club's history.

The heart of the matter

Julen Lopetegui's job at the Santiago Bernabeu has come under intense scrutiny following the series of poor showings by Los Blancos. When asked whether he would remain in his job come Sunday, the Spaniard replied:

"It is not for me to answer."

"What I know is that we are thinking about and preparing for Sunday's game.

"It is very important and we will go there with ambition."

Rumour probability: 7/10

Sky Sports is a pretty decent source when it comes to football transfer news. Besides, the circumstantial evidence also points to the imminent departure of Julen Lopetegui. Barring a miraculous turnaround, the number of calls for his head is only bound to increase.

What's next?

Real Madrid's upcoming match in La Liga will be held next Sunday when the Spanish giants will go head-to-head against their arch-rivals Barcelona. The result of the fixture will evidently be climacteric for Julen Lopetegui.