Tottenham chief Levy ‘open’ to Pochettino return if Conte leaves; but Prem rival could scupper plans
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy would be ‘very open’ to working with former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino again, according to reports.
This will depend upon the future of their current boss Antonio Conte though, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season.
Pochettino enjoyed a successful five-year stint in North London, so his reappointment would likely be popular with the Tottenham faithful.
However, according to reputed journalist Ben Jacobs, West Ham may also be a shock team to keep an eye on, as Pochettino weights up his next move after being targeted by the Hammers.
The Argentine coach has been out of work for a while now, after leaving his job as Paris Saint-Germain manager back in July last year.
He guided the French giants to one league title and a Coupe de France but missed out on the all-important Champions League.
Now, one would expect that he would love to return to the Premier League with Tottenham, but as mentioned, that depends on Conte.
While things didn’t work out for Pochettino in France, during his time with Spurs he was regarded as one of the best managers in world football, so he would be one of the first names on Levy’s shortlist if Conte does leave.
He guided the London club to four top-four finishes, as well as a Champions League final in 2019, which they lost to Liverpool.
Considering Tottenham have only qualified for the Champions League once since Pochettino’s departure, there is a good argument that he is the best option for Levy.
West Ham ‘left-field option’ could prevent Poch return
But, with West Ham currently just two points outside the relegation zone, David Moyes’ days at the London Stadium might be numbered.
With that in mind, appointing a top-quality manager like Pochettino to replace the Scotsman would be a great statement of intent.
However, according to Jacobs, Pochettino is more likely to wait until the end of the season to weigh up his options.
He said: “Pochettino’s mentality is that he’s willing to wait until the end of the season and assess what’s available in a calmer environment, and see if he can start a job that gives him a full pre-season.”
“There are a few clubs of interest, and most of them will have European football. There’s been talk of a Tottenham return and my understanding is that Daniel Levy would be extremely open to bringing Pochettino back should Antonio Conte leave”
“There’s nothing totally defined yet in terms of Conte’s future, and Spurs are relaxed about the situation with all parties ready to wait to see how the project develops. But come March or April we should know where Spurs and Conte stand.
“Pochettino is also monitoring the situations at both Real (where he’s been linked before) and Atletico Madrid.”
“The only left-field option in the Premier League to keep an eye on is West Ham. David Moyes is safe for now after two encouraging draws against Newcastle and West Ham.
“But late last year, Pochettino was one of the names the West Ham board considered in case a change was necessary.”
It seems unlikely that the Argentine would choose West Ham ahead of Tottenham, but if that is the only Premier League job available to him, he may yet end up at the London Stadium.
