Tottenham are ready to fend off Barcelona’s interest in manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy
According to The Mirror, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is ready to slap a huge price tag on the head of manager Mauricio Pochettino in order to fend off interest from Barcelona.
The Catalan giants will be looking for a new manager at the end of the season, as current incumbent Luis Enrique has announced that he will be leaving the club this summer after three years in charge.
Enrique’s departure means that fans are already turning their attention to who could arrive in his place, with Athletic Bilbao’s Ernesto Valverde, Sevilla’s Jorge Sampaoli and even Everton’s Ronald Koeman all suggested as possible appointments.
Another name mentioned is Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino, who has impressed since leaving Southampton to take the job at White Hart Lane in the summer of 2014.
His Spurs side may have fallen short in their pursuit of the Premier League title last season, but they are arguably the finest team in the division on their day, and much of that is down to Pochettino’s work.
Now, The Mirror report that whilst Barcelona may well be interested in luring Pochettino back to Spain, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is ready to stand firm.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
It’s claimed that Levy will slap a huge asking price on Pochettino’s head should Barcelona come calling this summer, with Spurs believing that they’re in a strong position to keep the Argentinian.
Pochettino only signed a new contract until 2021 in May, and with no buyout clause included, they can demand a high price from Barcelona, or any other club that may want to land him.
The report adds that Pochettino wouldn’t be put off a move to Barcelona because of his links to city rivals Espanyol having both played for and managed the club, but he appears to be happy at Spurs – and with Levy keen to keep him, don’t expect to see Pochettino in the home dugout at the Camp Nou any time soon.
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