According to Marca, Athletic Bilbao dream of bringing in Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager amid questions marks over Gaizka Garitano’s position.
Garitano has been given a stay of execution as Athletic boss, but it seems likely that he will be removed from his position in the near future.
It’s claimed that fans really want Pochettino as their new boss, and Pochettino himself thinks that the club would fit into his philosophy.
His huge salary is a concern, and a move is seen as ‘unrealistic’ right now – but there is still hope that he could change his mind.
Pochettino’s mentor Marcelo Bielsa enjoyed a superb spell in charge of Athletic, so maybe Pochettino will fancy following in his footsteps.
He hasn’t returned to management since losing his job at Tottenham almost a year ago, though he has been linked with much bigger jobs than Athletic.
One other interesting note is that Athletic’s Basque-only transfer policy means that they want to re-sign Fernando Llorente according to Tuttomercatoweb.
Llorente spent two years playing under Pochettino at Tottenham, and a reunion would certainly capture the imagination of fans – even if it does seem unlikely despite Pochettino’s admiration for the club.
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