Tottenham Enter Talks With Mauricio Pochettino Over Reducing Compensation Payments
Tottenham Hotspur have approached former manager Mauricio Pochettino over the possibility of reducing his payments as a way of cutting costs during the coronavirus crisis.
The Argentine is still on the payroll in north London despite being sacked in November, where he was earning an estimated £8.5m per year. Yet part of the agreement that saw him leave the club during the first half of the season was that he would continue to be paid until he found a new job.
Having not yet taken a new role, the burden stays with Spurs to pay him.
Spurs have already been looking for ways to stay on top of costs in order to avoid potential financial difficulties while football is on hold. The club opted to furlough non-playing staff in order to make use of the government’s Job Retention Scheme and temporarily remove costs that way, but the mass public backlash forced them to backtrack and reconsider that stance.
The Daily Telegraph writes that talks have been opened with Pochettino over a drop to his ongoing payments. The newspaper adds that chairman Daniel Levy has ‘looked at cost-cutting and budgets’, having previously expressed hope players and coaches would be ‘doing their bit’.
The Daily Mail separately adds that Spurs will also be aiming to agree deals with Pochettino’s backroom staff, including assistant coach Jesus Perez, who vacated their roles with him. The club also remains in talks with incumbent Jose Mourinho and players over reducing pay.
Uncertainty over Spurs’ finances during this crisis has led to suggestions the club could be willing to cash in on star striker Harry Kane, who had already fuelled speculation of a possible transfer by refusing to rule it out if he doesn’t believe progress is being made.
A £200m transfer fee has been mooted, although the crisis has likely torpedoed a buying market and it has since been claimed that Spurs have no intention of letting Kane go.
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