Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi remain the two leading contenders to become the next permanent head coach of Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.
And Spurs may have been handed a boost when it comes to naming Pochettino as their new boss, with one other team out of the running to appoint him - Manchester United.
GIVEMESPORT understands Pochettino is a leading contender to be the permanent replacement for Thomas Frank once Igor Tudor's interim reign finishes at the end of the 2025/26 season. The Argentinian would be a popular choice with the fanbase, returning to the club he left in 2019, having guided them to the UEFA Champions League final.
Tottenham Are Not The Only Club Looking For A New Manager
Spurs made the decision to appoint an interim coach following the sacking of Frank, with more potential options available in the summer, with Pochettino among a number of names who are out of contract.
It followed in the footsteps of Manchester United, who sacked Ruben Amorim a month prior to Spurs' Frank decision and replaced him with Michael Carrick on an interim basis.
that means both clubs will be in the market for a new permanent manager come the summer, but Tottenham have been handed a boost when it comes to appointing Pochettino as boss in N17.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Red Devils owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to have a new manager in place at the start of the summer, to give the new man as much time as possible with his squad and to make any changes required to the playing squad in the transfer window.
Manchester United Make Key Manager Decision
Ratcliffe wants to appoint a new manager before the World Cup begins in Mexico on June 11. That would seemingly rule United out of making a move for Pochettino, who is contracted to the US national team until the end of the tournament.
The USA, who made the move to appoint Pochettino after US Soccer Federation sporting director Matt Crocker was tasked with bringing in a world-class coach in 2024, would not welcome any move for their boss before the big tournament that they are jointly hosting begins.
United have been linked with Pochettino in the past and he is among the candidates to be linked with the job this time around too. However, the stars may be aligning for Tottenham to bring the Argentinian back to the club seven years after he was sacked.
Pochettino Admits He Is Open To Tottenham Deal
Pochettino, speaking on Spanish radio this week, said: "I’m always linked [to clubs], to Tottenham, just like at one time I was linked to Espanyol, or to other clubs.
"In the end, especially because of my past at those clubs, when things aren’t going well, people tend to fall back on emotions and say, ‘Well, with Mauricio we played good football,’ or whatever it may be.
"But no. We’re focused on the World Cup, on the United States. My contract runs until after the World Cup, so after that we’ll see what might happen. [I'm] Open to everything, right?"