Manchester United are reportedly eyeing Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino to replace Jose Mourinho at the helm at Old Trafford
According to a report by The Independent, Manchester United’s patience with Jose Mourinho is running thin. The Red Devils are thus, keeping their options open, with Mauricio Pochettino being their priority target to replace the current incumbent boss at Old Trafford.
The pressure is growing on Jose Mourinho, with Manchester United embarking on their joint-worst ever start to a Premier League season. To make matters worse, the Red Devils have also been booted out of the Carabao Cup, with their latest result in the midweek Champions League game making it four winless games in a row.
Manchester United now run the risk of going a staggering 12 points behind either Manchester City or Liverpool if Newcastle United record a shock win over them this weekend. With the international break following soon after, there are murmurings that Mourinho could be facing the axe if his side doesn’t return to winning ways.
If Jose Mourinho is indeed sacked, Mauricio Pochettino could be the man to replace him at the helm at Old Trafford. The Argentine isn’t too inexperienced in matters of being linked with high profile jobs of late, with the latest on the list of his admirers being Manchester United.
Pochettino already has the backing of Manchester United legend Gary Neville, who has iterated that he wants the Tottenham boss to replace Mourinho when the time comes. The Argentine’s slick style of play might make him a good fit at Old Trafford as well, with the fans yearning for quick, attacking football for a long time.
Pochettino has also shown a tendency to build and work well with youngster, which aligns perfectly with the ethos at Manchester United. But, swooping him away from Tottenham in the middle of the season will be a tall order, especially with his contract still having almost five years left to run, which the report alludes to as well.
Additionally, Manchester United are uncertain about appointing Zinedine Zidane, even though he remains one of their targets. Furthermore, the fact that Jose Mourinho will have to be paid a severance package in excess of £12 million is also making the Manchester United hierarchy think twice before sacking him.
All in all, it looks highly unlikely that Jose Mourinho will be walking away from Old Trafford in the upcoming international break, even with Mauricio Pochettino being an attractive target. For now, the objective remains to get Manchester United back to winning ways, and put the uncertainties behind them.
