Manchester United are reported to have approached former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino with a view to potentially replacing current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Despite a generally positive end to last season during ‘Project Restart’, Solskjaer has overseen a dreadful start to the 2020/21 campaign. United have won just two of their six Premier League games so far and sit 15th in the table, while Wednesday night’s defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League further highlighted existing concerns over tactical limitations.
Pochettino has long been linked with the Old Trafford job and 90min revealed in early October that lines of communications between the United hierarchy and the Argentine’s camp have never been closed, with the club still ultimately keen to appoint him.
The Manchester Evening News has now reported that things have taken a major step forward and United have initiated an approach by talking with Pochettino’s representatives.
The local newspaper reported nearly a year ago that Pochettino, who led Tottenham to the 2019 Champions League final, wants the United job and claims there is no reason to believe his stance on joining the club has changed during that time.
It is said that United were still privately backing Solskjaer ahead of the loss in Istanbul. But a Premier League clash against Everton on Saturday now provides a huge test for the Norwegian given that the November international break is looming and would be an opportunity to make the change.
Pochettino has been out of work since he was sacked by Spurs last November and was open to a return to Premier League management when he spoke about his future earlier this week.
“I'm not going to close any door and I am waiting to feel what is the right project for us, which is the right way to take,” he explained while a guest pundit on Sky Sports.
“My energy is full. I'd love to be involved in the game but at the same time I need to understand that you need to wait [for the right moment]. You need to wait for the right project and for sure football is going to bring what football wants and we need to be open and to accept or not.”
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Source : 90min