Exclusive: Manchester United face manager battle as rival sounds out Mauricio Pochettino
Manchester United may have to move quickly to land Mauricio Pochettino this summer, with the Paris St-Germain manager sounded out by a Champions League rival about his availability at the end of the season.
Pochettino is expected to come into the running at Old Trafford in five months time when Ralf Rangnick’s spell as interim manager comes to an end, although it is understood there has been no direct contact between the parties at this stage.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager, however, has been the subject of interest from a different major European club, who are assessing their options for the end of the campaign in the event of a change of manager.
Interest through intermediaries reflects the 49 year-old being high among the list of candidates when Champions League clubs have a change of coach. He has completed one year at PSG and, despite missing out on Ligue 1 last season, is on course for the first title of his career as a coach in the current campaign.
Telegraph Sport revealed in November that Pochettino would consider returning to the Premier League in his next job after PSG. He has one full season left on his contract at Parc des Princes.
Rangnick will stay at United as a consultant after the season has finished and suggested he could recommend himself for the job, although he has found a number of problems within the squad since taking charge last month.
His recent assertion that players must stay professional suggested an unhappy squad and that some would leave if the chance arose.
David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have held the managerial position since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement eight years ago, and transforming one of the biggest clubs in the world back into winners remains a huge draw for ambitious coaches.
Rebuilding a squad is something Pochettino is known for after his five-and-a-half years at Spurs, where he took them into the Premier League top four and to a Champions League final while bringing through talent such as Harry Kane.
