Manchester United look to have received a big boost in their pursuit of Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.
In a surprise development, it seems one of United’s potentially biggest rivals for the Argentine, Real Madrid, would rather hire their recently-sacked boss Jose Mourinho instead, according to the Times.
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Pochettino has worked wonders in his time at Tottenham, having also shone at Southampton in the Premier League before that.
It may well be that the South American is now set for a truly big job at one of Europe’s super clubs, and United would surely be lucky to have him.
After a difficult few years of expensive signings and poor-quality football under Mourinho, Pochettino would surely be a significant upgrade with his record of trusting and developing young players and working without the need of a huge transfer budget.
The Times claim Real president Florentino Perez still has a strong relationship with Mourinho and seems tempted to work with him again as the club look in a pretty desperate situation since Zinedine Zidane’s departure in the summer.
This seems risky given Mourinho’s recent struggles, especially in comparison with what Pochettino can offer.
Still, United won’t complain if it puts them one step closer to appointing the 46-year-old themselves.