Mauricio Pochettino Reveals 'Dream' to Return to Spurs Amid Newcastle Interest

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that it remains his ‘dream’ to return to the club to try and finish the project he started, although for now he remains ‘so motivated’ for whatever his next job may be.

Pochettino was relieved of his duties by Spurs in November to be very quickly replaced by Jose Mourinho. But the Argentine still remains on the payroll in north London as part of the agreement for the club to continue paying him until he takes his next role.

Pochettino, who guided Spurs to a second place Premier League finish in 2016/17 and the Champions League final in 2019, the latter just six months before he was sacked, is not expecting to return in the immediate foreseeable future – but will at some point.

“It was an amazing journey that finished the way no one wanted it to finish. But deep in my heart I am sure our paths will cross again,” Pochettino revealed to BT Sport.

“From the day I left the club, my dream is to be back one day and to try to finish the work we didn’t finish. We were so close to winning the Premier League and Champions League.

“Of course, I am looking forward to moving on and I am so motivated for the next project. But deep inside I want to go back because the fans are so special. Maybe in five years, maybe in 10 years, but before I die, I want to manage Tottenham.

“I want to feel what it means to win one title with Tottenham because the fans are amazing, all the love we received was amazing and that is a good opportunity to pay back all the love they showed us from day one.”

Pochettino has been linked with Newcastle this week in what would be an ambitious post-takeover move from the Magpies. Sky Sports described the 48-year-old as the ‘number one choice’ for the club’s prospective new owners, suggesting they would be willing to pay him a £19m salary.

The likelihood of Pochettino being approached by Manchester United significantly lessened in February and March as incumbent Ole Gunnar Solskjaer oversaw an upturn in results. The club has also repeatedly expressed their faith in the Norwegian at the helm of a long-term project.

Pochettino has previously ruled out managing Barcelona as a result of his connections to city rivals Espanyol, but he has often been linked with Real Madrid. A report in March suggested that the 13-time European champions have asked to be kept informed about his future.

Bayern Munich have recently handed interim coach Hans-Dieter Flick a permanent three-year contract, but there could be movement at Juventus if Maurizio Sarri only lasts one season.

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