Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly ready to quit his job as manager of Paris Saint-Germain in order to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United boss. Solskjaer was sacked by the Red Devils following an embarrassing defeat to relegation-threatened Watford, which left them 12 points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea.
United have stated that they hope to first appoint an interim manager until the end of the season, with first team coach Michael Carrick taking charge until that man is brought in.
They will then look to bring in Solskjaer’s long-term successor at the end of the season, with a range of options in the running.
Brendan Rodgers, Erik Ten Hag and Zinedine Zidane are all thought to be seen as potential managers by United.
Pochettino is also understood to be one of the frontrunners, with the Argentine having long drawn the eye of the Red Devils.
His first spell in the Premier League came with Southampton and Tottenham, with Pochettino successful at both clubs.
But he was sacked by Spurs at the end of 2019, after their form fell apart following an appearance in the Champions League final.
He was forced to wait more than a year before his next appointment as a manager, with PSG bringing him in as Thomas Tuchel’s successor.
It has not been an enjoyable stay at the Parc des Princes, with the French giants having been beaten to the Ligue 1 title by Lille last season.
Lionel Messi arrived in the summer after a remarkable transfer window that saw PSG seriously boost their squad.
Despite the super-squad he now has at his disposal, which includes Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Gianluigi Donnarumma, Pochettino is still struggling to stamp his authority in Paris.
The Argentine does remain an attractive option for United and the Daily Mail report he could be brought in much sooner than first thought.
It is stated that Pochettino is ‘ready to answer’ the call from United and is ‘prepared’ to leave PSG immediately.
Pochettino is said to be ‘unhappy’ at the Parc des Princes, with the former Spurs boss currently living in a hotel room with his family still in London.
Personal reasons are not the only thing making him ready to depart though, with the Mail also reporting he is ‘frustrated’ with managing big egos such as Messi.
He is thought to still be admired by United, having first been linked with the job when Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2018.
PSG travel to Manchester this week to face United’s fierce rivals Manchester City in the Champions League.
That provides United with the chance to confirm Pochettino’s interest in the job, though the Mail claim no contact has been made between the two parties as of yet.