Mauricio Pochettino was on the short list when Manchester United sacked Louis van Gaal and figured even more prominently as they sought a successor to Jose Mourinho.
So it makes perfect sense that he remains in their sights to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Pochettino lost out to Mourinho’s pedigree and experience, and then, two and a half years on, to the emotional appeal of Solskjaer, but he is better equipped than ever to step into the job at Old Trafford if they can extract him from Paris Saint-Germain.
Mauricio Pochettino is an impressive leader and would be a perfect fit for Manchester United
And how United could do with a leader of his ilk to step in, cast an eye over their expensive and inefficient squad, and shape it for a future in pursuit of past glories.
Pochettino is demanding, with a tight inner circle of trusted staff. As a protege of Marcelo Bielsa, he expects players to train hard, run far and perform with intensity. His pre-season sessions are notoriously tough.
He values chemistry within the group and those not with him are against him. When he arrived at Tottenham from Southampton in 2014, he quickly worked out those not pulling his way and bombed them out of the club.
Instead, he devoted his energies to those open to his ideas and together they evolved quickly as he nurtured young players, including Harry Kane.
Pochettino guided Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2019 and values chemistry
Five years on, as they prepared for the Champions League final, Pochettino had his players address their fears by walking on hot coals and snapping arrows with the tips pressed against their throats.
Bonds of trust were forged and Spurs thrilled fans as they competed for titles and reached cup finals and
