According to an article in The Daily Mail the club face a major battle to keep Mauricio Pochettino at the club after it emerged Real Madrid are stepping up their pursuit of the club’s Argentinian manager.
Sportsmail understands that initial contact has been made between Real Madrid officials and associates of Pochettino and the article says sources in Spain believe he is tempted by the possibility of working at Real Madrid.
The article goes on to say however, Spurs will take a firm stance with the Spanish side and attempt to resist all overtures.
It adds that Pochettino’s contract, which runs until 2021, does not contain an escape clause and therefore Madrid would have a battle to persuade chairman Daniel Levy to release him.
However the article says it represents a huge challenge for Levy, particularly as our hopes of keeping key players such as Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Hugo Lloris appear tied to the manager’s long-term future at the club.
It adds that it would also be a significant setback to lose Pochettino, the mastermind of this exciting Tottenham team, just as Spurs head into their new stadium next season.
Despite Spurs holding all the cards the article says it has not stopped Real making Pochettino their first-choice target as the pressure grows on beleaguered boss Zinedine Zidane in the Spanish capital.
MORE SPURS STORIES
It adds that it is understood that Madrid would not want Pochettino to replace Zidane mid-season, instead would like the Argentine to reshape the side this summer adding that Pochettino would be handed a significant transfer budget as the club attempt to return to the pinnacle of Spanish football.
Zidane won the Champions League title in the previous two campaigns, however Madrid are fourth in La Liga, 19 points behind leaders Barcelona, and the team suffered a shock Copa del Rey defeat by Leganes this week.
The article does say Zidane’s immediate future hinges on the upcoming Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain however Real president Florentino Perez is planning a charm offensive to lure Pochettino back to Spain.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
