Mauricio Pochettino no longer a priority as Manchester United identify No.1 managerial target - Reports
Manchester United are no longer as convinced by PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino as previous reports claimed, according to The Independent. The Red Devils' true top target remains Ajax manager Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United finally pulled the plug on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this week. They have appointed former midfielder Michael Carrick as their caretaker manager for the time being and are on the hunt for a replacement for the Norwegian.
There have been suggestions that the Red Devils intend to hire a permanent manager at the end of the season. In the meantime, they plan to bring in an interim manager to see them through the season.
Manchester United have been linked with the likes of Ernesto Valverde, Lucien Favre, Paulo Fonseca and Ralf Rangnick for the interim manager role. Meanwhile, PSG boss Pochettino has been placed as the favourite to take the reins at Old Trafford permanently.
However, Manchester United are no longer as convinced by Pochettino as they have been made out to be in the media, according to The Independent. The Argentinean tactician is not the Red Devils' first option to be Solskjaer's long-term replacement as previously thought.
If reports are to be believed, Ajax coach Ten Hag remains Manchester United's top target for the permanent manager's role. It remains to be seen if they can convince the Dutchman to take the reins at Old Trafford now or at the end of the season.
▪️ 14 wins, 1 loss, 3 draws
▪️ 58 goals scored, 5 conceded
▪️ Top of the league
▪️ Won their UCL group
Erik ten Hag working wonders for Ajax this season ✨ https://t.co/lxacecIQBS
Ten Hag is aware of his links with Manchester United. He said:
"I'm busy with Ajax. I don't need to talk about other interests, because nobody has contacted me. It's always nice when you are linked to clubs with this status", Ten Hag told a press conference on Tuesday.
It remains to be seen if Ajax can fend off interest from Manchester United should the Premier League giants make a move for Ten Hag.
What does this mean for Mauricio Pochettino's links with Manchester United?
There have been suggestions that Mauricio Pochettino is prepared to leave PSG to take the reins at Manchester United immediately. The Parisians are also reportedly in talks with Zinedine Zidane to replace the Argentinean.
Mauricio Pochettino is open to managing Manchester United and is willing to leave PSG midseason, according to @samuelluckhurst https://t.co/JXaPLRdbYI
However, with Manchester United claimed to be no longer as convinced by Pochettino as they used to be, it remains to be seen if they will make a move for him now.
With Ten Hag remaining committed to Ajax, the Red Devils could decide to bring in an interim manager now and wait until the summer to hire a permanent boss. They could yet turn to Pochettino should it prove difficult to lure the Dutchman.