The answer to Manchester United’s managerial conundrum could be Mauricio Pochettino.
The Mail report Pochettino would be willing to take the job immediately.
It is claimed Pochettino misses life in England, where his family is based, and is not enjoying managing the ‘big egos’ at PSG.
However, it is important to take this report with a heavy dose of scepticism.
Why quit now?
One of the biggest knocks against Pochettino has been his failure to win a major trophy during his managerial career.
Right now he is on track to win the Ligue 1 title at a canter, with many weeks to spare.
PSG already have a 11 point gap at the top of the league, and all he has to do is see the job through.
He also has a great shot at winning the Champions League, with Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi at his disposal.
It does not make sense to give that up mid-season, when everything is fairly on track for him.
The worry for Pochettino is that it could all unravel with poor Champions League performance in the knockout rounds and he could end up being replaced. But if that happens, so be it, he should not be desperate to force an exit now.
Guillem Balague, a close confident of Pochettino, tells BBC Sport that PSG are happy with the manager, despite links to Zinedine Zidane.
Pochettino to United may happen eventually
It does feel like there is plenty of momentum for Pochettino to be United’s manager from next summer.
It would just be a surprise if it played out with the Argentine forcing a move now, especially with United announcing a plan to look for an interim boss now.
Pochettino has been of long term interest to United, and if he were to announce a decision to quit PSG suddenly, the club would act, but it isn’t something United can count on.
The Mail‘s report is a real surprise, and we will see over the next week or so if it has legs, or whether United will have to wait on Pochettino for next summer instead.
There is a case for simply cutting to the chase, and sparing everybody the prolonged saga. If United want Pochettino, and he feels mutually, it may be that he simply choose to follow his heart.
Reaction
Here is a look at how United fans reacted to the Pochettino reports…
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