Manchester United have not been put off by the “outlandish” fee of £34million-plus it will take to prise Mauricio Pochettino from Tottenham in the summer, according to the Evening Standard.
The newspaper claim the Premier League giants will pay what it takes to land the Argentine if they believe he has superior credentials to the other principal contender, caretaker boss Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Standard report the compensation package needed “will exceed the £34million value of the remaining four years of Pochettino’s contract”.
OPINION
In a week in which Pochettino’s reputation has further soared and Solskjaer’s has taken a dent amid the two clubs’ contrasting fortunes, it was inevitable that further reports would emanate of United’s interest in the Argentine alchemist who has transformed Tottenham. While there is no doubt about United’s ambition or willingness to fling vast hordes of cash around to improve a team that has punched well below its weight since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, there is no sense Pochettino will quit the new White Hart Lane this summer. While he has not benefited from transfer market assistance over the last year, Pochettino may also appreciate he is on to a good thing at Spurs. He has a team approaching its peak, full of players who would walk into most Champions League and elite Premier League sides, and has the adoration of a fan base who adore how his methods continue to reap dividends. Spurs are heading into the Champions League quarter-finals, while United are set for elimination. One club is on the up, the other is flatlining.