Manchester United are in pole position to tempt Mauricio Pochettino from Tottenham as they hold back on appointing Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer, according to Jamie Redknapp.
The high-profile pundit questioned in the Daily Mail why United have not already named the Norwegian as their permanent manager following his transformation of their fortunes.
And now Redknapp has raised the prospect of a major twist in the club’s manager search which could still end up with former favourite Pochettino at Old Trafford.
“Matters have been complicated by the return of Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid. Now that door has closed to Mauricio Pochettino, United are in pole position to try to tempt him away from Tottenham,” Redknapp told the Mail.
“Pochettino was the No 1 candidate to replace Jose Mourinho. He has an outstanding track record when it comes to improving players and has established Spurs as a top-four side, despite having his hands tied in the last two transfer windows.
“Regardless of Tottenham’s recent poor run of form, he remains the strongest candidate and would become an even more attractive option should United’s season not finish on a high.
“Whatever happens between now and May, Solskjaer’s reputation as a manager has been significantly enhanced. Whether he is sitting in the Old Trafford dugout next season, though, may depend on his ability to deliver Champions League football.”
OPINION
Does Redknapp know something no-one else, apart from the United board, does? In recent weeks, all pundits and journalists have claimed Solskjaer is nailed on to become permanent manager, particularly in the wake of the miraculous Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain? Does the FA Cup exit and the Premier League defeat to Arsenal alter things all that much? Surely not. Should Spurs fans suddenly be concerned again, just when they thought Pochettino’s chances of being lured away had dissipated? Maybe only a little bit. The Zidane appointment at Real was greeted enthusiastically by Tottenham supporters as a twist that precluded one of Europe’s giants from a concerted pursuit of their manager? Until Solskjaer is officially appointed, United are a real threat. Perhaps Lilywhites might quite like the Red Devils to finish behind them in fourth this season, rather than Arsenal and Chelsea.