Real Madrid have joined Manchester United in pursuit of Mauricio Pochettino with the race for the Paris Saint-Germain manager heating up.
According to an exclusive report from the Independent, Real Madrid are set to go after Mauricio Pochettino as club president Florentino Perez is upset with manager Carlo Ancelotti following their loss to Paris Saint-Germain. However, they will have to face competition from Premier League giants Manchester United.
Pochettino is currently in his second season with PSG. The Argentine took over the reins at the club midway through the 2020/21 campaign after the club sacked Thomas Tuchel. The 49-year-old failed to lead the French heavyweights to the Ligue 1 title last term but did win other domestic trophies and guided them to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Les Parisiens look well set to reclaim the Ligue 1 crown this season. They are also in a strong position to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals after they defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the Round of 16 first leg tie earlier this week.
The manner in which Real Madrid lost on the night – Carlo Ancelotti set his team with a completely defensive outlook at Parc des Princes – is believed to have left club president Perez furious. The Merengues’ supremo was appalled by the fact that the team failed to hit a single shot on target, which has now dragged Ancelotti’s job under threat.
And, Pochettino is being looked at as a possible replacement after Real Madrid were impressed with how he managed to set his team up to nullify Real Madrid’s key players like Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. The Argentine has been on Los Blancos’ radars since 2017, but the timing never quite aligned while there were concerns over his trophy-winning pedigree.
However, his domestic success with PSG being guaranteed this term should allay those fears somewhat. Real Madrid could get their wish as Les Parisiens are also mulling over the possibility of hiring ex-Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane at the end of the season. So, the Spanish capital club might end up getting their man in the summer.
But Real Madrid will have to battle Manchester United, who are also looking at Pochettino as their new managerial target. The Red Devils will be replacing Ralf Rangnick at the end of the season, with the German set to move into a consultancy role. And ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager Pochettinho has been touted as their main target.
With Real Madrid also now entering the fray, it will be interesting to see how this race for the 49-year-old’s services unfolds over the coming months.