In the post SAF era (and in perhaps a year within that era), no manager’s stock has perhaps increased to the heights as that of Mauricio Pochettino. The fact that he receives little to no criticism for lack of trophies should prove that he is beyond special. He took Tottenham and cemented their place as a household name in the 2010’s. Sure, they were ranking in the top 6 before he came but after his arrival, the club gained a new found level of fierceness that still exists to this day. Despite the departure of players like Luka Modric and Gareth Bale, the club has managed to remain in the top 6. In his first 4 seasons, he managed to get the club to three top-3 finishes.
Perhaps his crowning achievement was in the most recent season. He managed a top 4 finish without buying a single player over the transfer window. More importantly, he took Tottenham Hotspur to the finals of the UEFA Champions League - the first ever in the history of the North London club. Goes without saying that the boys in white will remember his name for a long time and North London (perhaps football) in general will be indebted to him for his approach of player development and strategy of attack-favouring football over breaking the bank.
With so many achievements and unparalleled goodwill under his name, he’s going to be an expensive hire. While he did sign a 2018 contract valid till ‘23 worth up to £8.5m a year, there’s no guarantee that he will remain at the club. Even if he stays this season, the speculation and pressure to sign him will surely increase in the next season. Here are some clubs that may hire him in the seasons to come:
1. Manchester United:
A club that has not seen great days after Sir Alex Ferguson retired. They did have some points of positivity with Mourinho but that was it. Fans thought their club was experiencing a much-needed Renaissance when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer started out his tenure with 6 back to back wins, which blew the roof off of Old Trafford. But then that roof came crashing down; they were ousted out of the UCL and they ended the season without winning a single out of their last 5 league games, ending outside the top 4. Upper management and the club chairmen have been under extreme scrutiny in the aftermath, and with the aid of their deep pockets, Man U could easily spring for Pochettino. Even if not in the current season but in the next one. There is seemingly almost nothing to stop them and the dotted lines all point to Pochettino.
Fork in the road: OGS was appointed as a permanent manager because of his initial string of wins. He is under a three-year contract and Man U might not want to end it early. Also, the Reddevils have been broken to the point that a singular solution like the change in management might not do the trick alone. Overburdened with challenges, Man U might not go for Poch immediately.
2. Real Madrid:
Mirroring the first entry, Real have disappointed this season. They seemed severely handicapped without Ronaldo, ending the season trophyless. While they did bring back Zidane, the RMA season with only 1 win in the last 5 matches, losing out to the bottom-placed Rayo Vallecano towards the end of the season. While they spent nearly £300 million in the window, if they end the coming season trophyless, things might not look good for Zidane. There would definitely be an in for Pochettino: A manager that achieved so much on a shoestring. He could do a lot with Real’s talent and budget.
Fork in the road: The return of Zidane was very strong and well received. He is one of the most beloved figures in football and in the club especially after winning 3 consecutive UCL’s and a La Liga. The copious amount of spending and more to come may keep the club too busy to go for Pochettino.
3. Paris Saint-Germain:
PSG are the reigning club in the Ligue 1 but their presence in the UCL is nothing special. They have great players but they have always been outclassed at some point in the Champions League. With Real Madrid opening the monetary floodgates, there’s a likelihood of both Mbappe and Neymar departing the club for Real Madrid. If so, PSG will need ammunition and they need a sharpshooter who can make use of that ammunition and there’s no man more fit for the job than Pochettino. PSG have been responsible for two of the biggest transfers in football in history and they surely have pockets deep enough to offer him a very lucrative contract.
Fork in the road: Mbappe and Neymar will be extremely expensive for even Real Madrid to buy and the deals might not happen as a result. Tuchel’s(PSG manager) contract runs till 2021.
4. Chelsea:
With Maurizio Sarri departing the club, Chelsea are desperate for new management. With Hazard’s move, they lost one of their all-time legends who won them the UEL and took them all the way to the top 4 in the most recent season. Now their club might be in dire straits, despite Pulisic poised to be clad in blue. There is the strong likelihood of Frank Lampard returning to the club in a managerial capacity but nothing is concrete and Pochettino is a strong option at this point with his penchant for getting his team to great heights while keeping the spending under control.
Fork in the Road: Lampard’s potential return as a manager is highly likely and is getting a lot of positive attention from club patrons.
5. Tottenham Hotspur:
Last but not least, he might simply stay. He’s been at the club since 2014. He has taken them to lofty heights and he is one of the most beloved managers in football right now, if not the most. His contract runs till 2023 and he seems to be at the helm of a lot of big Tottenham plans in the transfer window like Eriksen’s potential sale and subsequent buys with the money gained from that potential sale(Aside from money saved having not spent anything on buys last season). Of course, the UCL finale and the top 4 finish has sure made the club patrons even more fond of him and thus sure working hard to retain him at the moment.
Fork in the road: While his salary is decent it is not as much as some of the highest paid managers and at this point, it is unanimous that he’s among the best managers in the world. Couple that with the expenses for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it might be difficult to retain him at the club, especially if he demands a pay-hike( despite the 2023 contract.)
Prediction: He will still remain at Tottenham. Having come so close, he might stick around to see to club lift a major trophy. On top of that,0 he is overseeing a lot of big transfer moves, like Eriksen’s potential sale and looking to spend big and buy players like Ndombele. Other clubs have reasons to lure him but they are all pretty busy with a lot of stuff like simply raking in players and giving their current managers a chance. Seems just as possible (as him leaving) that Pochettino might remain at North-London for some time.
