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Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with the vacant head coach position at Tottenham Hotspur
Mauricio Pochettino has previously revealed that he would like to return to Tottenham Hotspur one day. The USMNT head coach has emerged as one of several potential candidates to replace Thomas Frank in the dugout.
Spurs parted ways with the Dane following a disappointing defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday evening. The Lilywhites enjoyed a promising start to life under Frank, climbing into the top five of the Premier League.
But, after a humiliating defeat to Arsenal in November, Tottenham slipped into the bottom half of the table. They've since been sucked into a relegation battle, failing to win any of their last eight games in the English top flight.
football.london understands that Spurs are working on a contingency plan. As it stands, an interim candidate looks the most likely route at the moment, with so few permanent options – like Pochettino, who's currently gearing up for the World Cup – available.
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While the USMNT boss is preoccupied with preparations for the tournament, his previous comments about Tottenham have resurfaced in light of Frank's departure. Speaking to Sky Sports in March 2025, Pochettino admitted that he would like to return to Spurs.
"When I left the club, I always remember one interview I said I would like one day to come back to Tottenham," said the Argentine. "I am in the USA, so I am not going to talk about that now - but what I said then I still, after six years or five years, feel in my heart. Yes, I would like one day to come back."
Then, in an interview with Jake Humphrey on the High Performance Podcast earlier this month, Pochettino fuelled speculation of a return to Tottenham. Reflecting on last season, the former Spurs boss said: "To win a Europa League, that the team won [under Ange Postecoglou], is good, but it’s not enough.
"It is not enough to challenge for the Carabao Cup, or the FA Cup, or the Europa League, or the Conference [League]. It’s a club that should be, or needs to be, because the fans, what they expect is to be in the Champions League, fighting for the Champions League, trying to believe that you can win the Champions League and also fighting for the Premier League and believing that you can win the Premier League."
Later in the podcast, Pochettino was asked which of the clubs he has managed means the most to him. The former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Southampton gaffer had no doubt in his mind.
"It is very simple: Tottenham," he replied. "Still, the people on the street, the fans of Tottenham, really show the love and the appreciation, and I think that is why it’s so special."
As it stands, it remains to be seen who Johan Lange will appoint as the new Tottenham head coach. However, if Spurs were to go for Pochettino, they'd likely have to cough up a huge compensation fee.
According to the BBC, the United States Soccer Federation would be entitled to 'one of the biggest financial compensation fees in football history' if the Argentine were to leave to take a new job before the World Cup.
Bayern Munich paid RB Leipzig £21m to land Julian Nagelsmann in 2021 before Chelsea forked out £21m to prise Graham Potter from Brighton a year or so later.
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English (US) ·