Mauricio Pochettino ‘secretly maintaining contact’ with Man Utd about becoming manager but Rangnick ‘prefers Ten Hag’
MAURICIO POCHETTINO is still ‘secretly maintaining contact’ with Manchester United ahead of a potential move in the summer.
The PSG boss has been linked with arriving at Old Trafford ever since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November.
Ralf Rangnick is currently in charge of Man Utd as interim manager until the end of the season.
But the German will then head upstairs to begin his two-year role as a consultant.
And the search is continuing for a permanent replacement to Solskjaer – with La Parisien reporting that Pochettino is one of the favourites to take over.
The Argentine, who took Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019, looks set to win his first major trophy this season as PSG hold an 11-point lead over Nice at the top of Ligue 1.
They have also qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League – where they will face Real Madrid in the last 16.
And Man Utd chiefs are reportedly keen on bringing Pochettino – whose family still live in London – to the club.
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But it is now claimed Rangnick has his eye on Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag.
The 51-year-old won the Eredivisie with Ajax in the 2018-19 campaign and also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League before being dramatically knocked out in the dying moments by Pochettino’s Spurs.
He then oversaw a mass exodus as Matthijs de Ligt, Donny van de Beek and Hakim Ziyech all departed the club within 12 months.
But he has rejuvenated the team and they walked the Eredivisie title by 16 points last season.
This season they are currently one point behind PSV at the top of the table.
And Ten Hag has secured them a place in the last 16 of the Champions League after they were just one of three teams to win all six group matches.
They will take on Benfica in the second round and fancy their chances of progressing through to the quarter-finals.
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Ten Hag’s Ajax contract runs until the end of the 2022-23 season – as does Pochettino’s at PSG.
Meanwhile, United are continuing to struggle on the pitch as they attempt to secure a top four spot in the Premier League.
The Red Devils sit seventh, four points off a Champions League qualification place.
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