Reportedly, PSG was willing to allow Mauricio Pochettino leave to for Manchester United to be their new manager if only two conditions were met.
While Pochettino was heavily linked with United’s managerial job, the club instead confirmed Ralf Rangnick as their interim manager on Monday. The German will take over until the end of the season following Solskjaer’s departure.
As such, United chief John Murtaugh insisted Rangnick was always their “No 1 candidate”. However, new reports have revealed that Pochettino is one of their favorites being considered for the position on a permanent basis next summer.
The reports further claim that United could have had their man (Pochettino) this month if two terms were met.
They claim that PSG would have let Pochettino leave if United stumped up £17m to buy him out of his current contract that runs until June 2023. The reports further claim that PSG would have only sanctioned the move once Zinedine Zidane was ready to step in and take over from the Argentine as boss.
PSG has reportedly lined up the former Real Madrid boss as Pochettino’s replacement but never ended up approaching the Frenchman about the job.
While a move for Pochettino didn’t materialize this month, it is likely that United will hold talks with the Argentine at the end of the season when their search for a permanent manager begins.
Pochettino refused to distance himself from the job after Man City beat his side in the Champions League claiming he was only focused on the task at hand.
He said, “We are always focused on the football, our games and our work. It is not us, nor the club who generate these situations. It does not affect us. I am focused on PSG. We are used to rumors arriving. When they do arrive, it is a good sign that there are many of them and that we are doing good work”.
“We are calm and humble. It is not us creating these rumors”.