Chris Smalling
The Manchester United defender is likely to be available to be snapped up by Tottenham this summer, as he continues to sit out-of-favour with manager Jose Mourinho.
Smalling was a first-team regular under David Moyes, Ryan Giggs and Louis van Gaal, but he has struggled to retain such an important role in the first-team squad under the current boss.
The 27-year-old presents arguably the most experienced, as well as the cheapest, option on Pochettino’s three-man shortlist, but it is not yet clear if Mourinho will be willing to sell to a rival.
For an experienced player, however, Smalling can at times appear indecisive, an unflattering attribute that threatens to bring problems into the league’s best defensive unit.
But the biggest concern for Tottenham and Pochettino will be the fitness of the England international, with Smalling having regularly been struck down with injury during his Old Trafford career.
The player might also have reservations over his potential role at Wembley, given Pochettino would have to break up the formidable partnership between Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld to hand him regular starts.