Manchester United are not fazed by the prospect of having to pay a world-record compensation fee to make Mauricio Pochettino their next manager.
The Tottenham Hotspur manager appears to be the man United want to succeed Jose Mourinho, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who will take his first training session on Thursday, installed as a caretaker manager until the end of the season.
Despite Solskjaer being a temporary appointment – with assistant Mike Phelan, who aided Sir Alex Ferguson, believed to be given greater influence than his role would suggest – United will press ahead with a plan to sign a central defender in the January window.
United are considering a move for Porto defender Eder Militao. The 20-year-old Brazilian international is not their only option but is regarded as far more attainable than Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, even though Porto have made it through to the last-16 of the Champions League. A fee of around £40 million has been discussed.
It could cost even more than that to buy Pochettino out of his contract at Spurs. Tottenham will fight hard to keep the Argentine who only signed a new five-year deal last May and which does not contain a release clause.
A figure of around £42m ($78 million NZD) has been mooted with the cost of Pochettino's £8.5m-a-year contract, after the end of this season, totalling £34m. Presumably the rest of that amount, around another year's money, would therefore be made up of the offer of a compensation fee to Spurs.
It would represent by far the largest amount ever paid by one club to bring in a manager from another, but United are believed to be prepared to pay whatever it takes if they are given the encouragement that Pochettino wants to join them.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino. Photo / AP
It is not a given that Pochettino will push to move to United while Real Madrid remain interested in the 46 year-old. But sources suggest that he is not only United's No 1 target, but the only one being seriously considered. However, United insist they will now began a thorough process to identify and then hire their next manager and are not ruling anyone in or out at this stage.
In order to fight off interest, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will step up his bid to bring outside investment into the club and will tell Pochettino he will not get the same level of control elsewhere.
Pochettino suggested he has no money to spend in the January transfer window by showing empty pockets when asked on Tuesday and Spurs, yet to move into their new stadium, the costs of which have spiralled, do not expect to be busy in terms of incomings in the next transfer window.
But it is understood there is cash available if the right opportunity can be found and Spurs do want to make sure Pochettino has money to spend in the summer, despite also financing the stadium bill.
Levy is in talks with a number of companies about buying the naming rights for the new stadium, which he values at around £200m for a 10-year deal. And Levy is also looking at other investment opportunities in an effort to promise Pochettino a healthy summer transfer budget if he ignores interest from United and Real to stay.
Another key factor in Pochettino's future could be the level of control he enjoys at Tottenham, which Levy is prepared to use against any attempt from United or Real to take him. It is seen as key within the club that Pochettino had his job title changed from head coach to manager when he signed his first contract renewal in 2016.
Pochettino also argued against any attempt to hire a director of football or technical director after the departures of Franco Baldini and Paul Mitchell. United are to undergo a restructuring following the sacking of Mourinho and want to hire a director of football figure, with Mitchell, currently at German club RB Leipzig, one of the names strongly in the frame. Again, however, United are not hung up about the status of the role – or its title – and are simply looking to have a more streamlined approach co-ordinated through one person when it comes to recruitment in particular.
Manchester United former manager Jose Mourinho leaves the Lowry Hotel in Manchester, England. Photo / AP
It may be that they even do not use the title of director of football/ sporting director/ technical director but hire a head of recruitment which may appease a manager such as Pochettino.
United believe they could not push ahead with their plan to hire a director of football had Mourinho remained as their manager which, given his criticisms over the way the club operated, was galling for them.
Pochettino is an ambitious manager but also has to weigh up whether it is the right time to join United, should they go for him, or whether it is better to stay at Spurs who, arguably, already have a stronger squad. Of course he would receive a significantly higher salary at United.
Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is interested in succeeding Mourinho should United not be able to bring in Pochettino.
Having been sacked by Chelsea in July, Conte has split his time between England and Italy for the past six months and his daughter has remained in school in London. Wanting to take a break and resolve the legal dispute surrounding his departure from Stamford Bridge, Conte has twice turned down Real Madrid as well as several other opportunities since the summer. But he expects to be ready to return to management in June and would seriously consider any approach from United.
