Tottenham boss Pochettino only candidate Real Madrid considering

Posted Friday, June 01, 2018 by hitc.com

A report has suggested that Tottenham Hotspur face a fight to keep hold of Mauricio Pochettino this summer after Zinedine Zidane's departure.

According to a report from The Independent, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is the only name that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is considering as Los Blancos look for Zinedine Zidane's successor at the Bernabeu.

Zidane stunned the football world on Thursday by announcing that he was leaving the La Liga giants just days after guiding the club to their 13th triumph in the European Cup or Champions League, and the third of his tenure.

And while Spurs fans may have hoped that Pochettino's recently-signed five-year deal may protect them from facing a fight to hold onto their manager, The Independent reports that Madrid are planning to make their move for the Argentinian. And to make matters worse from a Spurs perspective, the report suggests that Pochettino is the only candidate that Perez is seriously considering right now.

The Independent adds that those close to Pochettino believe that he would be able to leave if he wanted to as he has an informal agreement with Tottenham in case Madrid make a move - though there is no official release clause in his new deal.

It remains to be seen whether Pochettino has any interest in considering the job seriously. It would certainly be a surprise if he had not imagined the possibility of taking over in the hours since Zidane's exit was announced, but he would have signed his five-year deal surely with the knowledge that a massive job could come along in the coming years.

With Pochettino tied down until 2023, Tottenham are in a decent position to stand their ground and keep their manager - but perhaps it may be time for Daniel Levy to make a statement to Pochettino and get down to business in the transfer window.