Sir Alex Ferguson has given his endorsement to Manchester United appointing Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s next permanent manager, according to the Times.
The newspaper claim Ferguson, the club’s legendary manager who has been a director since retiring in 2013, is a “big admirer” of Pochettino and wants him as the successor to Jose Mourinho.
The Times report “Pochettino is United’s preferred candidate to take over as manager at the end of the season” and they will not be put off by the £34million compensation payment required to prise him from north London.
OPINION
Pochettino was memorably pictured leaving the fashionable Mayfair restaurant Scott’s in May 2016 with Ferguson and his Spurs assistant Jesus Perez at a time when he was high on United’s wishlist to replace Louis van Gaal. Two days later, Pochettino signed a new Tottenham contract to kill off United speculation, and they went on to hire Jose Mourinho later that summer. In the subsequent period, the north Londoners have thrived and punched massively above their weight while United have capsized after an initial improvement under the Portugese that, not untypically, he could not maintain. Only Pochettino will know whether Ferguson wittingly or unwittingly helped him decided to remain at Tottenham but there will be widespread fears, bordering on panic, among supporters that the Argentine will not steer clear of Old Trafford for a second time, especially when the job is available and he is said to top the club’s shortlist.