Manchester United will reportedly have to fork out £40 million to land Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as Jose Mourinho’s replacement.
According to a report by The Sun, Manchester United have zeroed in on Mauricio Pochettino as their number one priority to replace under-fire manager Jose Mourinho. The Red Devils though, will have to shell out £40 million in order to land the Tottenham Hotspur head coach.
Pochettino is perhaps, the most highly sought-after manager in world football at the present moment, having been linked with the top jobs at Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United, to name a few. But, the interest in him has been for good reason as well.
The Argentine took over a Tottenham side that had been in the wilderness, as far as the battle for the Premier League top four is concerned, for a long time. But, four years on, and Pochettino has established Spurs as a mainstay in the Champions League while also coming close to winning the league title in a couple of seasons.
With Spurs’ own stock skyrocketing in recent years, it is understandable that Pochettino has become the subject of interest from some of the biggest clubs in the world. He had been heavily linked with Real Madrid this past summer before he ended up staying put at Spurs. Now, though, Manchester United are hot in his pursuit.
The 2017-18 season had ended with a lot of promise for the Red Devils, even though they had failed to win a trophy. But, after a summer of poor transfer business, Jose Mourinho has cut an unsettled figure, which has reflected on Manchester United’s results this term.
Their Premier League campaign, in particular, has been a dismal one. Manchester United currently sit 8th on the table, and astonishingly have a negative goal difference after almost half the season. A place in the top four is 8 points away, while a title challenge is already out of the question, with Manchester City 18 points ahead after the latest gameweek.
As a result, the pressure is mounting on Mourinho to deliver Champions League qualification, or risk being shown the exit door at Old Trafford. So far, the manager’s future looks bleak, with Manchester United far from being one of the favourites to either win the Champions League title or finish in the top four.
As a result, Manchester United are identifying their options to replace Mourinho, possibly by the end of the season, with Pochettino being their top target. However, swooping him away from Tottenham will be a tall order, especially because the Argentine only signed a new long-term deal this past summer.
But, the report suggests that United can secure the services of the 46-year-old by paying Spurs £40 million, something which they have no qualms about. While the parting price is now known, Daniel Levy will likely put on a fight to keep hold of one of his biggest assets.
For now, it is looking likely that Jose Mourinho’s time at Manchester United is nearing its end, with the Premier League heavyweights eager to sign Mauricio Pochettino as his replacement. It will be interesting to see if the £40 million price is enough to land the Argentine, or if the Red Devils are force to turn their attention elsewhere.
