Mauricio Pochettino’s coaching style may not include Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba if he is made Manchester United manager.
The Paris Saint-Germain boss, as evidenced by his time in the Premier League at Tottenham and Southampton, prefers to improve individuals and not manage superstar players.
Speculation about his future is rife following PSG’s shock exit to Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Getting a team full of super star names like Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe to gel is proving difficult though they are running away with the title in Ligue 1.
And he has been linked with the United role when interim boss Ralf Rangnick leaves at the end of the season.
The Premier League side have traditionally been associated with producing young talent and turning them into great players.
“When you know Mauricio, it’s very difficult for him to manage this type of player, this type of team [like PSG], The Athletic quote a source close the coach saying.
“He needs to improve players, he wants players to have fundamentally good principles of play.”
Given the profile of players like Pogba and Ronaldo, who are regarded as some of the biggest names at the club, this suggests they will not be at Old Trafford next season if Pochettino is brought in.
With that said, Pogba could still leave regardless of who the club appoint next, as he is out of contract in the summer.
There’s no question the quality they posses, but given the current situation of the club where they are fighting to qualify for the Champions League spot rather than the Premier League title, their impact hasn’t been completely telling.
Pochettino, meanwhile, is also believed to have asked friends with knowledge of Manchester about the city and about the club’s structure.
However, he is one of a number of players under consideration with Ajax’s Erik ten Hag another.
The 52-year-old Dutchman has apparently been ‘sounded out’ by the club.
Like Pochettino, he has been doing his homework, too, asking about the players and wanting to learn as much about the squad as possible.