Manchester United and Bayern Munich are on high alert after Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from Chelsea.
Pochettino’s availability for immediate hire has put him straight onto both United and Bayern’s radar.
Argentine coach Pochettino left Chelsea by mutual consent on Tuesday night, after amicable but insurmountable differences with club owners on the Blues’ future direction.
The 52-year-old’s status as on the open managerial market immediately transforms the summer’s movements for a number of top clubs.
There has been a dearth of highly experienced but still relatively young coaches available, and Pochettino will represent a ready-made option now for one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Pochettino turned Chelsea’s season around from 11th place in April to a sixth-place Premier League finish, thanks to a run of just one defeat in the final 15 matches.
That form – and crucially the tactical sophistication he adopted therein – has had both United and Bayern taking clear note.
United have been weighing up whether to sack Erik ten Hag for some time now, with the Dutch boss struggling amid an eighth-place finish and even a minus goal difference.
The Red Devils are at least in the weekend’s FA Cup final against neighbours Manchester City, but there are those who believe not even a victory at Wembley would be enough to keep Ten Hag in a job.
New owners INEOS are understood to be long-term admirers of Pochettino and his footballing world view, and when adding in the fact he can be a quick hire, United could make a relatively swift move.
Bayern are thought to have added Pochettino to their shortlist, with the Bavarians looking for a replacement for ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel could only drive Bayern to a third-place league finish, and that underwhelming return led Munich chiefs to decide some time ago to remove him at the end of the term.
Last week Bayern chiefs had a change of heart though, and attempted to convince Tuchel to stay on next season, in a major club U-turn.
Tuchel rejected that opportunity though, leaving Bayern back to square one, and still chasing a new head honcho.
Brentford’s Thomas Frank is on their shortlist too, as well as Burnley’s Vincent Kompany.
Pochettino may have left Chelsea with some frustrations, but the former Southampton and Paris St Germain manager has enhanced his reputation again across the Blues’ late-season form – and some of the biggest clubs in Europe are well aware.
