Mauricio Pochettino has already confirmed that Manchester United are interested in his services, with the Red Devils weighing up their options for the manager role at Old Trafford as Michael Carrick heads towards the exit.
Sitting in the relegation zone with just one win in the first 10 games of the Premier League season, Man Utd chiefs are set to finally wield the axe and part ways with beleaguered boss Carrick, despite stirring comebacks against Roma and Aston Villa last week, though a decision may now be delayed until Thursday.
Already Man Utd fans are analysing potential candidates for the head coach role at their club, with former Tottenham boss Pochettino having his name bandied about as a possible successor to Carrick.
Man Utd’s interest in the Argentine head coach dates as far back as 2016, with Pochettino even meeting Sir Alex Ferguson for dinner while in charge at Spurs.
In May of this year, Pochettino revealed the Red Devils’ interest was more than just rumours. He told FourFourTwo: “United have always shown interest. But the ideal scenario to manage there has never quite materialised.”
Pochettino went on to state that meeting Sir Alex Ferguson was not a job interview, but instead a younger manager picking the brains of one of the most successful coaches in football history.
He continued: “In any case, that lunch with Sir Alex had absolutely nothing to do with it.
“In his final season as a manager, we played a great game against United with Southampton. In the press conference after, he said we’d been the most complete opponent that United had faced.
“Through the secretary of the League Managers Association, he asked for my phone number so that we could have lunch. It was a meeting in London between colleagues – between a genius and an apprentice.”
Pochettino interviewed for the manager role at Old Trafford in 2018, losing out to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Speculation linked Pochettino to the Man United job again in 2022, with the Argentine then in charge of French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
Pochettino hinted that he would have discussed the possibility in more concrete terms if his situation had allowed.
He explained: “I was under contract at PSG.
“After our Champions League elimination against Real Madrid, we had no option but to make sure we secured the Ligue 1 title at least.
“United were in a hurry to announce their new manager before the end of that season because the situation had become unsustainable. I couldn’t negotiate, whereas Ajax gave Ten Hag the flexibility to do so.”
The former Southampton manager also told L’Equipe earlier this year that he would relish a chance to return to the Premier League.
Contracts and commitments may once again prevent Pochettino from taking the Manchester United job. After leading the USA in their home World Cup, Pochettino signed a new contract in August - presenting a potential stumbling block when it comes to compensation.