Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham gardening leave has come to an end, meaning the Argentine is now free and able to join another club at no extra cost to any interested party.
Pochettino took the reins in north London in the summer of 2014 and went on to manage Spurs for five years, helping guide them to the Champions League final in 2018/19. However, following a slow start to the current campaign, he was relieved of his duties in November last year.
As part of his termination agreement, Pochettino would not only remain on the payroll until he found a new club, but the 48-year-old was also placed on gardening leave. This ensured he would not be able to take up a new job until the end of the 2019/20 season, unless a significant fee was paid to Spurs.
However, The Telegraph now report that this period has now come to an end as the final weekend of the current Premier League season would have been played in normal circumstances. As a result, Pochettino is now free to enter into negotiations with any clubs freely without suitors needing to pay a sizeable chunk of money to Tottenham.
This will come as a timely boost for those interested as the coronavirus crisis continues to take its toll on clubs financially. But while Pochettino is now able to enter into discussions with another club at no cost, he isn't expected to take up a new job until the completion of the current campaign across Europe.
This is because he would, understandably, want a pre-season with his new squad. Manchester United and Real Madrid are two clubs that have admired Pochettino for some time, but the Red Devils have decided to back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while Real may not be inclined to pay up the remainder of Zinedine Zidane's contract this summer in order to part ways with him.
Milan's chief executive Ivan Gazidis is also said to be a big fan of Pochettino. Then there is Newcastle; with a blockbuster Saudi-backed takeover nearing completion, the Magpies have been linked with a stunning move for the Argentine in recent weeks.
However, The Telegraph add that the potential new owners will give Steve Bruce the chance to keep his position - although other candidates, such as Pochettino, will also be considered.
Source : 90min