Tottenham Hotspur's hunt for their next permanent manager is well underway and the club has been boosted by Mauricio Pochettino's latest comments.
Spurs had the conundrum of whether to go for an interim or permanent manager following the dismissal of Thomas Frank earlier this month, with senior club officials deciding to go down the route of the former.
Igor Tudor has taken charge until the end of the season, and while Johan Lange has admitted that he could be given the job on a full-time basis if he impresses, it's surely more likely that Tottenham will look to bring in a new name altogether.
Firstly, the north London outfit need to keep themselves in the Premier League, starting with Sunday's trip to Fulham, with the club without a league win in 2026 and lying just four points above the relegation zone.
Slipping into the Championship would be unthinkable for Tottenham, but should they stay where they are it sounds as though Pochettino would be keen on the job.
Mauricio Pochettino 'Open to Everything'
According to GIVEMESPORT sources, Pochettino is one of Tottenham's top manager targets in the summer as they look to bring the club back to where it should be in the Premier League table.
The Argentine will be joined high on Spurs' shortlist by Roberto De Zerbi, who is also a target for Manchester United and potentially Manchester City and Liverpool should managerial changes happen at those clubs at the end of the season.
Pochettino will be going nowhere until after managing the USA at their home World Cup this summer, but his latest comments suggest he will then be 'open' to every offer he receives, with Spurs remaining huge admirers following his previous five-year spell in charge.
Speaking on Spanish radio, Pochettino 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?”
Positives of Pochettino Appointment
While Pochettino is clearly a talented manager and coach, the main positive of re-hiring Pochettino is the way he would bring the whole club together.
Spurs fans still love him, as was shown when they chanted his name during Frank's final game in charge of Newcastle.
There appears to be a real disconnect throughout the whole of Tottenham right now, and this is the appointment that makes the most sense to fix that issue.
In his previous spell, the 'world-class' Argentine took the north Londoners to a Champions League final and while they didn't win it, there is a feeling of unfinished business from all parties.
Spurs have a decision to make this summer; do they go for the romantic return of Pochettino or try something new again? Regardless, it seems the 54-year-old would be keen on returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.