Man Utd manager boost with target ‘open’ to Old Trafford switch, ‘at odds’ with current club

Manchester United have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of manager target Mauricio Pochettino, according to a report.

United are busy searching for Ralf Rangnick’s long-term replacement as the German will finish his role as interim boss in the summer. 63-year-old Rangnick will then take up his new job as a club consultant for the next two years.

Pochettino has been on United’s radar since his days managing Tottenham. The former centre-back turned Spurs into genuine domestic and European contenders between 2014 and 2019.

However, he was unable to cap off their success with a trophy. They finished second in the Premier League in 2016-17 and reached the Champions League final in 2019, only to lose to Liverpool.

Pochettino, who currently manages Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, is one of several targets for the Red Devils. Zinedine Zidane, Erik ten Hag and Brendan Rodgers are also on their shortlist, according to various reports.

But Pochettino could become the frontrunner following the latest from the Daily Mirror, who cite Goal in France.

They claim 49-year-old Pochettino is ‘open’ to joining United after falling out with the PSG hierarchy. His frustrations lay with sporting director Leonardo in particular.

Mauricio Pochettino dealing with PSG actions

Pochettino wanted the club to trim his squad in the summer as he deemed it to be bloated. They allowed Mitchel Bakker to join Bayer Leverkusen but did not agree to any more sales.

Instead, they went on a lavish spree of world-class signings. That included the arrivals of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gini Wijnaldum and Gigi Donnarumma, among others.

Pogba favours Juventus return if he leaves Manchester United

Paul Pogba favours a return to Juventus if he leave Manchester United this summer snubbing Real Madrid

While these transfers are obviously exceptional, Pochettino is now having to deal with excessive options in each position. That is causing tension among the players as each individual wants to play, and rightfully so.

According to the report, Pochettino is now ‘at odds’ with PSG’s board over their transfer decisions. The disagreement could result in him returning to the Premier League this summer.

United star weighs in on poor form

Meanwhile, United left-back Luke Shaw has given an honest admission about the club’s form and Champions League qualification hopes.

They took the lead against Southampton on Saturday but were pegged back by a Che Adams equaliser. The game ended 1-1, meaning more dropped points for Rangnick’s side.

“[I] can keep saying it all the time but it’s not good enough,” Shaw told MUTV.

“We need to improve fast. We need to get results. The most important thing is results and points.

“Where we want to be, what we want to achieve for the rest of the season, if we keep dropping points, we’re not going to get into the Champions League.

“We need to be in the Champions League and in the top competitions, so we need to get better quick.”

The Red Devils will be desperate to get back to winning ways in their next match. They host Brighton on Tuesday at 20:15.

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