Madrid - Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini could be targeted by Spanish champions Real Madrid for the next season, the AS sports daily said on its website on Wednesday.

According to AS, Pellegrini is one of the coaches preferred by Jorge Valdano, the man tipped to return as Real sporting director if Florentino Perez, as expected, wins the upcoming presidential elections.

The elections will likely take place on June 14, and Perez, who has still not officially announced his candidature, is the clear favourite to win them.

Perez was Real president 2000-2006, with Valdano as his sporting director. According to AS, Valdano has already agreed to Perez' request to return to the Estadio Bernabeu with him.

eal sacked German Bernd Schuster as coach last autumn, with Juande Ramos currently in charge.

AS said that Valdano is also interested in Carlo Ancelotti. However, the Italian coach said he wants to continue at AC Milan. In addition, only one per cent of Real fans would welcome Ancelotti to Madrid, according to an online poll taken recently by AS.

Pellegrini, who took only three per cent in the poll, has come into the picture because the three coaches who came top of the poll - Vicente del Bosque, Josep Guardiola and Rafa Benitez - are not available.

Del Bosque is the current Spain manager and very happy in the job. Benitez has recently extended his contract at Liverpool until 2014, and it is unthinkable that Guardiola would leave league leaders Barcelona for their historic rivals.

Chilean Pellegrini, 55, has won massive admiration in Spain and Europe for his achievements at low-budget Villarreal since 2004.

He has twice guided the "Yellow Submarine" into the Champions League, and in 2006 narrowly lost the semi-finals against Arsenal. Next week Villarreal face Arsenal again, this time in the quarter-finals.

Villarreal are currently fourth in La Liga and well on course to qualify for the Champions League for the third time under Pellegrini. (dpa)