Tottenham chief Daniel Levy will rebuff the advances of Real Madrid for Mauricio Pochettino despite the prediction of some mega-money offers, according to Guillem Balague.
The Sky Sports journalist, who is close to the Argentinian manager after helping write his book ‘A New World’, has claimed in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live that while the Spanish giants might come knocking after seeing Zinedine Zidane resign, Levy has no intentions to let the firm fan favourite depart this summer.
However, the Spanish reporter is predicting that there will be a point in the future where Pochettino turns to the director and says there is no more he can do for the club, having taken them from European hopefuls to top four regulars.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Real Madrid will put money on the table and say ‘how about if we pay this?’ and Spurs will probably say no.
“(Real will say) ‘How about if we pay this much more?’ and there will still be a no.
“I just think this summer is not the time, but there will be a point where you (Pochettino) go up to Daniel (Levy) and say ‘I’ve done so much for this side, can I do more? Is it not time for somebody else to come and try it?'”
Opinion
Outside of Spurs, no one has worked as closely with Pochettino as Balague and the Spanish journalist will know exactly what the Argentine’s plans are going forward. He will know just what Levy is thinking too, and he is probably right in saying that money is no object when it comes to keeping the manager at the club. He has just penned a new contract – perfect timing in Levy’s eyes – meaning that no matter what sort of money comes Spurs’ way from Real, there is no desperate need to take the cash and let him go. Pochettino is a massive favourite in north London and letting him go would result in uproar from the fans. The project that is being built at Tottenham relies on the manager’s guidance and judgement and he has some way to go before the club’s hopes and dreams are reached. For that reason alone, his stay with the Lilywhites is likely to go on a while longer.