Mauricio Pochettino has long been overlooked by Man United since his ‘dream’ lunch with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2016… now, with Erik ten Hag’s future hanging by a thread, the Argentine is closing in of his destiny at Old Trafford

Goodbye Chelsea, hello Manchester United? Mauricio Pochettino’s surprise midweek departure from London caused an uproar among Blues fans, but it also caused murmurings in the north-west of England as United fans found themselves linked once again to a possible transfer of the Argentinian.

Erik ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford appears all but over ahead of the FA Cup final against rivals Man City on Saturday afternoon, with reports claiming the Dutchman will be sacked regardless of the result.

Names mentioned as Ten Hag’s successors include recently departed Bayern Munich and former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, England manager Gareth Southgate, free agent Zinedine Zidane and the Ipswich chief – former Man United assistant -Kieran McKenna. Pochettino’s new availability now also puts him in the frame.

However, it’s a route that has often been taken before by the 13-time Premier League champions and United fans may feel like they’re going through another cycle of deja vu as anticipation builds that Pochettino could finally arrive at Old Trafford.

Whenever a manager leaves their position at United, Pochettino’s name is usually mentioned as a replacement candidate. Now, after a short spell at Chelsea, he is back in action. But have the stars finally aligned for him to finally get a chance at England’s biggest club?

Pochettino (right) could succeed Erik ten Hag (left) at Old Trafford if the Dutchman leaves

Pochettino has long been an admirer of Manchester United and is now a free agent

United legend Sir Alex Ferguson (left) has previously praised Pochettino’s managerial abilities

United legend Sir Alex Ferguson was the first to tip Pochettino for his former job three years ago.

His recommendation came as the club searched for their third permanent manager since he left following the sacking of Louis van Gaal following the FA Cup title triumph over Crystal Palace. How ironic it would be if they left with another Dutchman after this weekend’s trophy clash.

Fast forward to 2016 and Pochettino was one of Europe’s most sought-after tacticians after transforming Tottenham into a team that would later challenge for the Premier League and Champions League, ultimately failing in both competitions.

Ferguson shared a dinner with Pochettino at Scott’s restaurant in the posh London suburb of Mayfair and, although Spurs were aware of the honest interaction, it came at a time when the United legend had recently made the praise of the South American.

“The manager (Pochettino) has been fantastic,” Ferguson said two months before sharing a meal.

“They have a poor record when it comes to managers, there’s no doubt about that. They’ve had so many over the years.

“But this boy has composure. You never see him upset and the way his team plays is a testament to the work he does,” he added.

The Argentine remained in his role at Spurs and United appointed Jose Mourinho – a relationship which deteriorated after just two and a half seasons.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy then decided to sack Pochettino in 2019 less than six months after guiding Spurs to the Champions League final where they were beaten by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and he quit football English to take the reins of PSG.

The Argentine had already been tipped to join United before Jose Mourinho (right) took the job.

Pochettino’s final season in Paris once again saw him linked with a move to PSG

Pochettino left Chelsea in surprise exit after just one season at Stamford Bridge

The timing never worked out for him to take charge at Manchester until, ultimately, a move seemed likely when the 52-year-old was in his final season at the Paris club and United found themselves at home. search for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s replacement.

It was a confusing time at Old Trafford, on and off the pitch, as a team featuring Cristiano Ronaldo endured a miserable season and behind-the-scenes changes also took place as former chief executive Ed Woodward announced his departure and that Richard Arnold was responsible for choosing the club’s next manager.

Ferguson once again voiced his argument that Pochettino could be the ideal choice, even though he failed to convince PSG and struggled to get the best out of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Gary Neville also put pressure on United to begin talks with Pochettino, telling Sky Sports at the time: “I think Mauricio Pochettino – even though he would never have said it – would leave to come to Man United on a five-year contract tomorrow.

“He would look at this group of players, he would look at the club and he would realize that he would probably be able to achieve more than what he wants at Man United in terms of his project.

“At PSG, you evolve season by season. “You have to win the Champions League, otherwise you are eliminated.” I don’t think this suits Pochettino.

“I think he would absolutely come to Man Utd on a five-year deal, with support behind him. How he would fit in with the current coaches who are still here and gone, I’m not sure.

“Manchester United need to make sure they do well in the next game. Even if that means being patient for six months while waiting for managers to be available at the end of the season.

The 52-year-old has long had admirers at Man United

Arnold ultimately ignored the advice of Ferguson and Neville and sided with caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick who believed Ten Hag was the best option available.

Fast forward to the present day and United find themselves in an almost identical position to where they were before Ten Hag’s arrival from Ajax.

He is now the one in the ax swing with many believing that even the FA Cup cannot save the Dutchman’s future at the club and Pochettino is waiting in the wings as he decides his next move.

If you had mentioned that Pochettino had joined United midway through the season, it would probably have been Chelsea fans cheering and Red Devils fans fuming.

Despite Ten Hag’s side’s injuries and well-below-par performances, they remained above Chelsea for most of the season before Pochettino got his stuttering side firing on all cylinders and overtook United in the end-of-season race to finish in the Europa League places.

Pochettino has been praised for his ability to develop young English talents like Harry Kane

Man United’s current crop of young stars include Kobbie Mainoo (left), Amad Diallo (middle) and Alejandro Garnacho (right).

He now appears to be a serious candidate for the job, if United decide to part ways with Ten Hag.

Pochettino loves English football. He has worked with Harry Kane, Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher, all of whom were selected in Gareth Southgate’s provisional squad for the upcoming European Championship and has a track record of developing young English talent.

It’s one of the must-have skills to succeed as Man United head coach, with the club proud of their ability to turn academy talents into world-class stars and something Pochettino has proven that he was more than capable of doing.

He also has a reputation as one of the best coaches in European football and it is no surprise to learn that Chelsea stars who had formed deep relationships with him were left stunned after his departure was announced from Stamford Bridge after just one season.

Ten Hag’s future as Manchester United manager hangs by a thread

In fairness, Ten Hag has also worked wonders with United’s stars during an injury-riddled campaign.

Alejandro Garnacho is a first-team regular and part of the Argentina national team, Kobbie Mainoo has earned a starting spot in midfield and is a full England international, while Rasmus Hojlund has also reached double figures for Premier League goals in his debut campaign.

Reservations over Pochettino’s appointment mainly concern his lack of silverware achievements. If Ten Hag wins the FA Cup, he will have won more major honors in two seasons at United than the Argentine won in his entire managerial career.

If trophies are the measure of success then Tuchel and Zidane would be more suitable candidates, but there is an allure at Old Trafford around Pochettino that simply won’t go away and will persist until he has, at rightly or wrongly, the opportunity to show off. his talent.