Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino, now at Paris Saint-Germain, remains in consideration as Manchester United look to find their next permanent manager
Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted he doesn’t know if he will be in charge of the Ligue 1 leaders next season with Manchester United preparing to name their next permanent manager.
Ajax boss Erik ten Hag has emerged as the Old Trafford club’s first choice, with past comments from Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp marking the Dutchman out as a top managerial talent. However, Pochettino remains in contention for the post, which will become vacant when Ralf Rangnick leaves his role as interim manager and moves into a consultancy position at the end of the current campaign.
United haven’t given up hope of bringing Thomas Tuchel to Manchester, either, with uncertainty at Chelsea potentially opening the door for the German to move north. Still, while Pochettino now appears to be one of a number of candidates – rather than the leading man – he has admitted his own future hangs in the balance regardless of United’s plans.
“Beyond the sadness, to give PSG the possibility to fight to fulfill their objectives is always a great challenge,” the Argentinean coach said with his side flying high in the league but out of the Champions League. “And yes, we feel capable of it.
“Afterwards, it’s a question of exchanges. We will have to sit down with the club to exchange. To find the best formula. To see the vision, the future, the ideas, the project.
“We will analyze everything at the end of the season. We will see at the end of the season [if I stay]. It will be the club’s decision.”
The Manchester Evening News reports that Ten Hag is United’s number one choice, despite he and Pochettino both failing to lead their teams beyond the last 16 of the Champions League – the same stage at which United themselves were eliminated by Atletico Madrid. PSG lost 3-2 on aggregate to Real Madrid despite winning the first leg, while Ajax was beaten by the same aggregate scoreline after losing 1-0 to Benfica in Amsterdam.
United are said to have not yet made a final decision when it comes to their next full-time appointment. Rangnick had been hired on an interim basis before the turn of the year, stepping in after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking with the goal of helping the club identify and build under a new permanent boss.
Rangnick is expected to be involved in the decision-making process to select the next manager, along with others such as Football Director John Murtough, Technical Director Darren Fletcher, and chief negotiator Matt Judge. “I know my opinion [of who should take the job] but so far we haven’t spoken about it so this is what I can tell you,” the German said.
