Manchester United target Mauricio Pochettino would rather take up job at Premier League rivals - reports
Manchester United has been linked with Mauricio Pochettino for the managerial job for years now. Since the start of the season, however, these links have started to solidify.
The Argentine is likely to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season due to underwhelming performances with the star-studded club. United, meanwhile, are on the lookout for a permanent manager to take over from interim manager Ralf Rangnick in the summer.
However, according to talkSPORT, Pochettino might prefer a move to his former club Tottenham Hotspur if the job is available.
"Mauricio Pochettino wants to come back to the Premier League and he wants to come back with Tottenham," says Alan Brazil #THFC
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He joined the north London side in 2014 from Southampton and spent five years with them. He reached the Champions League final in 2019 with Spurs but lost out to Liverpool. Under him, Spurs also came close to winning the Premier League title in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.
Spurs fans and football pundits still believe they played their best football under the Argentine and could've achieved more. However, he was sacked in 2019 after a string of poor results.
He is now reportedly at the top of the list for Manchester United along with Ajax manager Erik ten Hag. Many claim the Argentine to be a better fit given his experience in the Premier League with Southampton and Spurs.
Will Mauricio Pochettino choose Tottenham Hotspur over Manchester United?
Another aspect to consider here is how long Spurs current manager Antonio Conte will stay at the club. He joined in November after the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo. However, he has expressed his disappointment at the quality of the players and the club's transfer activities.
Chairman Daniel Levy will have to spend a fortune in the summer if he is to convince Conte to stay. This is something that is not associated with Levy. Spurs became the first club to not spend in the summer transfer window in 2018.
Hence, Conte could leave the club in the summer. If that happens, Pochettino is likely to return to Tottenham.
Antonio Conte has said that it is “impossible” for any manager in the world to lead #THFC to immediate success, insisting that the north London club have been stuck in a rut for “the last 20 years”.
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Conte could also join Manchester United after leaving Spurs. He was linked with them in November when the pressure was building on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, if Conte stays and Manchester United come for him, the Argentine will certainly join the Red Devils.
There are certainly a lot of variables involved in this. Come summer, Pochettino's movements will certainly cause a buzz in the footballing world.