Laudrup tipped to succeed Zidane at Real Madrid?

Bengaluru/Doha, June 5: As Real Madrid continues its search to find a successor for Zinedine Zidane, the latest name doing rounds is that of Denmark legend Michael Laudrup, who is currently with Qatari side Al Rayyan.

Zidane shocked the football world by announcing his decision to quit as manager just days after guiding Real to a hat-trick of UEFA Champions League triumphs.

Several high-profile names like that of outgoing Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and his Tottenham Hotspur counterpart Mauricio Pochettino are being linked with the top job at Santiago Bernabeu.

But the grapevine is that Laudrup has thrown his hat in the ring and there are unconfirmed reports that Real held talks with his agent over a possible move to Spain.

Michael Laudrup has reportedly held talks with #RealMadrid to become their next manager!

The Danish Legend’s agent 'Bayram Tutumlu' claims that Laudrup, who spent two years as a player at @realmadrid between 1994-96, now appears to be among the frontrunners as well.#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/RemixIF8SX

— Hot News (@LostRachid) June 2, 2018

Laudrup's current two-year contract with Rayyan ended last week and following the 1-2 defeat to Al Duhail in the prestigious Emir's Cup final recently, the club management decided not to give him a further extension. It was Rayyan's second successive defeat in Emir's Cup title clashes and the fact the Qatari side failed to make any progress in the AFC Champions League also weighed against Laudrup sigining a new deal.

The former Swansea manager has been in Qatar since 2014 and in a recent interview with local media had hinted that time has come for him to possibly even take a break from coaching.

https://t.co/fg2YLYb4v6 looks like he’s done with coaching anyway.

— All Things Leeds United ⚽️ (@FocusOnTheFooty) May 28, 2018

"I want to take a break. After all, I've been working on high-level football since I was 17, so now is the time when life's going to offer something else for a while. It's a time-out break. It can be six months, 12 months or permanent. It'll only show time, but right now there is a pause," Laudrup, was quoted as saying on TV 2 Sport.

In another interview, the former Swansea manager sounded excited even at the prospect of him being talked about as the next Real manager.

"There're already and there'll probably be many names on the table at Real Madrid, it's possible that I'm one of the many and it's always good that I'm mentioned in connection with a job," Laudrup said.

One of the few players to have played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, Laudrup is a hugely respected figure in Spain. He spent two years as a player at Real from 1994 to 1996 and there are reports that the Galacticos want him there as the coach now.

And adding fuel to the fire, Laudrup's agent Bayram Tutumlu event went on record saying he was approached by Real management.

"Of course, I've been in contact with people in the club, and Michael Laudrup is a candidate for the job," he was quoted as saying in Dutch publication Ekstra Bladet.

All said and done, Laudrup, who led Denmark in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, looks like a good option to fill in the big shoes of Zidane.