Mauricio Pochettino open to Premier League return
Mauricio Pochettino remains open to returning to the Premier League after he leaves current club Paris Saint-Germain.
The 49-year-old has one full season remaining on his contract in the French capital but has long been linked with a return to England, namely with former club Tottenham and Manchester United.
A return to north London is now off the table following Antonio Conte's appointment as Spurs' new head coach but there's every chance that Pochettino could be in contention to take over at United in the future.
Current boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains under huge pressure following humiliating defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City in recent weeks and his immediate future at the club is uncertain - United's hierarchy have been taking on feedback from a number of senior figures while they decide whether or not they need to make a change.
Pochettino is viewed by many United fans as the perfect successor to Solskjaer and the Telegraph state that he'd consider returning to England, where his stock remains high after a successful five-and-a-half year stint at Spurs. He was also revered for his 18 months at Southampton before.
The issue is that appointing him now would be difficult, if not impossible.
Not only would hefty compensation need to be paid to PSG, Pochettino would also have to be lured away from a near-certain Ligue 1 title win, as well as the chance to lead Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to Champions League glory.
Title success is something that has eluded Pochettino during his coaching career so far and it's unlikely that he'd up sticks in the middle of a season to take over at United. He is, after all, young enough for the position to come around again in the future should Solskjaer be given the boot.
The only other scenario that could see Pochettino land in Manchester sooner than the expiry of his contract is if the bizarre pressure that he's been under leads to a surprise sacking.
PSG are 10 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 but his unwillingness to build everything around Messi has caused consternation among the club's supporters and, allegedly, members of the board. The Argentine himself has also looked miffed when he's been substituted by Pochettino, something that's never really happened to him before unless he's been struggling with an injury.
Pochettino has defended his decisions and the team have continued to be successful on the field - whether or not he remains in Paris until the summer of 2023 is another story.