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Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham insiders fear Argentine could SNUB Man Utd for Real Madrid
TOTTENHAM reportedly fear Real Madrid more than Manchester United in their chances of trying to retain the services of Mauricio Pochettino.
Pochettino has been bandied about as the top contender to take the Manchester United job after Jose Mourinho was sacked last week.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was swiftly appointed as caretaker manager, but United are eager to name a new permanent boss at the end of the campaign.
After nearly five years in charge of Spurs, Pochettino has seen his stock rise considerably and he has put the north London outfit in the mix for the title as they are second in the Premier League table, six points behind leaders Liverpool.
Real Madrid on the other hand, dispensed with Julen Lopetegui after a dismal start to the campaign and Santiago Solari is the current incumbent.
Florentino Perez would no doubt be eager to bring in a new manager to the Bernabeu with proven credentials when the season finishes.
And according to the Daily Telegraph, Spurs think Real pose the greatest threat to their chances of clinging onto Pochettino rather than United.
While United would reportedly be prepared to stump up more than £40million in compensation to get the Argentine, the Telegraph claim Tottenham insiders feel Pochettino would also be torn over whether or not to join a rival immediately.
As such, it is believed that Pochettino may find it too hard to turn down the chance to manage Real.
They know that if they can deliver the title, they will keep hold of their manager
It is thought that United’s interest in Pochettino could force Los Blancos to make their move.
Pochettino has previous experience of managing in La Liga.
During his three years in charge of Espanyol, he won the Copa del Rey twice.
Other reports have surfaced that Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has thrown his hat into the ring for the Manchester United job.
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Allegri - who has steered Juventus to four Serie A titles on the trot - is supposedly taking English lessons with a view to managing in the Premier League.
Despite the continued speculation surrounding Pochettino, Martin Keown reckons a title triumph could convince Pochettino to stay put.
In his Daily Mail column, he wrote: “Many expect Pochettino to join Manchester United at the end of the season and the fear for Tottenham is that everything he has built will be broken up.
“Rather than acting as a distraction, it looks like talk of his exit has sharpened the minds of his players.
“They seem to be playing with an added belief and motivation.
“They know that if they can deliver the title, they will keep hold of their manager.”