If Madrid decide to look close to home, one name stands out above all others in La Liga: Marcelino Garcia Toral. Thanks to his disciplined approach, Villarreal are sitting third in La Liga, five points behind Barca with a game in hand, and there is genuine belief in the Castellon province that they can push for the title.
Villarreal boast the best defensive record in La Liga at present, with Marcelino's compact 4-4-2 formation forcing opponents wide, and they can be devastating on the transition with plenty of pace and guile in the final third. The 60-year-old Spaniard inherited a squad languishing in 14th when he returned to El Madrigal for a second spell in November 2023, and has transformed their fortunes in remarkable style, with a fifth-placed finish last term taking the club back into the Champions League.
The Yellow Submarine have really struggled in Europe's elite competition, which would be a concern for Madrid if they do seriously consider Marcelino, but only Alonso, Hansi Flick, Diego Simeone and Manuel Pellegrini have stronger CVs among the current coaching pool in Spain. Marcelino guided Villarreal to the Europa League semis in his first stint, won the Copa del Rey with Valencia in 2018-19 and reached the final a further two times with Athletic Club.
If Villarreal can move ahead of Madrid as the main challengers for Barca's crown, Perez may decide Marcelino is the right man to bring domestic glory back to the Bernabeu.