Former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes has urged his former club to go all out for Mauricio Pochettino.
But he has also declared his interest in taking over on an interim basis, if the Paris Saint Germain manager cannot be appointed until the end of the season.
Following a 4-1 drubbing at Vicarage Road on Saturday, the club’s hierarchy yielded the axe on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time in charge at the club.
Michael Carrick is currently the club’s caretaker manager and took his first game in charge in last night’s Champions League clash at Villarreal.
It seemed the club were originally looking at bringing an interim manager in until the end of the season and then maybe targeting the likes of Pochettino or Erik ten Haag, following the conclusion of the season.
But with the former Tottenham manager reportedly keen on a move back to England, it is hoped that PSG could sanction a move during the upcoming French winter break.
Hughes, who formerly coached Manchester City and has been out of work since being sacked by Southampton in 2018, believes that his former club should go all out for Pochettino.
He told talkSPORT: “I think for a long time United have coveted Pochettino.
“I think they’ve wined and dined him, I think he’s been out with Sir Alex. I think that was well documented a few years ago.
“I think he’s well thought of within the corridors of United, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s the one that they really want.
“Whether or not he’s able to come to the club quickly, that’s an issue for them. In terms of resources, to be able to get a top manager out of a top club, clearly United are one of the few clubs that are able to do that.”
Hughes believes that if Pochettino can be brought to the club in the immediate future, he would opt against going down the interim route.
The Welshman added: “I think if he’s the man, they should just go out and go get him. This interim to interim position doesn’t seem to be the right way to go about it.
“But clearly, if they have to wait, they seem prepared to do that. I just feel it’s Pochettino that they really, really want.”
But if United cannot get Pochettino now and are forced to hire an interim manager then Hughes, who made 276 appearances and scored 99 goals for the Red Devils, says he would be interested in the position.
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