Manchester United are said to be ‘increasingly confident’ of luring Mauricio Pochettino back to the Premier League as the club look to appoint a new manager.
Pochettino has been a long-term target for the Red Devils and is on the club’s shortlist of potential candidates, as a permanent appointment is sought ahead of next season.
The Argentine impressed during previous spells in the Premier League with Southampton and Tottenham and the Mirror are reporting that Pochettino is the number one target for the Old Trafford hierarchy.
There is an increasing confidence that the club will be able to lure the 49-year-old back to England, with Pochettino’s time with Paris Saint-Germain having been far from straightforward.
He inherited the side from Thomas Tuchel last season and saw PSG beaten in the title race by Lille, whilst there have been problems integrating the club’s summer signings this term – with marquee arrival Lionel Messi having netted just one goal in Ligue 1 this season.
PSG are comfortably clear at the top in France, but given their resources a reclaiming of the title is expected at the Parc des Princes.
The true test for Pochettino will be in the Champions League, where PSG face Real Madrid in the last 16. The Parisians were beaten in the semi-finals by Manchester City last season, having finished as runners-up in 2020.
The club’s unconvincing performances have reportedly seen PSG sound out potential successors to Pochettino, with Le Parisien revealing that Zinedine Zidane had been approached for the position, but showed a reluctance to accept the role mid-season.
Given the mutual discontent between Pochettino and the PSG board, he could become available to discuss the position at Manchester United this summer.
Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag is also believed to among the frontrunners.
