After being sacked hastily by Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the latest hot property in European football as the giants join the race to acquire the service of the Argentine.
According to reports in English daily The Sun, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are putting in their weight to rope in Pochettino, while Manchester United are also among the clubs who have shown strong interest in him.
Ernesto Valverde is under pressure from the higher ranks of Barcelona after failing to provide a satisfactory start to the season and the rumours about his departure have only grown with each passing day.
Bayern Munich have also had an indifferent start to their season and are currently being run by interim manager Hansi Flick, the former number two of sacked boss Niko Kovac. They are currently placed at the third position in the Bundesliga.
At the Old Tafford, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, who replaced Jose Mourinho, has been the subject of fiercer criticisms after a dismal start to the ongoing season. Reportedly the United officials are planning to replace him in the winter itself to resurrect their hopes of a top-four finish.
Pochettino, being a successful manager who made Tottenham Hotspur from a mid-table club to a regular Champions League entrant including last season’s final, fits rightly into the category of these traditional giants who are looking to regain their stronghold.
Manchester United missed out a Champions League berth this season after failing to finish among the top four of the Premier League in 2018-29 season. Barcelona, on the other hand, have not held the European crown since 2015. Bayern had their last European glory way back in 2013.
Spurs, on Tuesday night, sacked Pochettino from the role of the head coach. The other members of the coaching staff Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino and Antoni Jimenez have also been relieved of their responsibilities.
The 47-yar-old had joined the north London club in 2014 and led them to become a powerhouse in English football. During his reign, Spurs achieved the second spot in English Premier League in the 2016-17 season, their best-ever result in 50 years.
He was also in charge of Harry Kane & boys’ phenomenal Champions League campaign last season. They defeated Ajax on away goals after trailing 3-0 on aggregate at halftime in the second leg of the semi-final but lost 2-0 to fellow English side Liverpool in the final.
Mourinho was declared as the new boss with a contract that will keep him there till the end of the 2022-23 season.