‘Open to anything’ – Mauricio Pochettino breaks silence on Tottenham return rumours

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Mauricio Pochettino has addressed fresh speculation linking him with a return to Tottenham Hotspur as uncertainty continues to surround the club’s long-term managerial plans.

It has been widely reported that Tottenham Hotspur will make a permanent managerial appointment in the summer.

Several names have been linked with the Spurs job, including Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino, Oliver Glasner and even Andoni Iraola.

But at the moment, it is far from set in stone, as Spurs are embroiled in a relegation scrap and, should they drop to the Championship, it becomes rather difficult to attract top managers.

Tottenham links addressed as Mauricio Pochettino responds to rumours

While Tottenham remain hopeful of securing their Premier League status, the favourite for the permanent role, Mauricio Pochettino, was present for their latest 5-2 drubbing against Atletico Madrid.

It was a difficult watch, with the defeat only piling more pressure on interim boss Igor Tudor, whose time in the Spurs dugout could be cut short.

Pochettino has now spoken about the speculation linking him with a return to Tottenham.

He addressed the rumours during an interview with Radiogaceta de los Deportes on RNE, which was relayed by Mundo Deportivo.

He said: “I’m always linked to the clubs I’ve been at, to Tottenham, just as I was linked to Espanyol at one point, or to other clubs. In the end, especially because of my past at those clubs, when things aren’t going well, people tend to rely on emotions and say, ‘Well, with Mauricio we played good football,’ or whatever.

“But no. We’re focused on the World Cup, in the United States. My contract ends after the World Cup, so we’ll see what happens after that. Open to anything, right?”

Spurs could face competition for Mauricio Pochettino

Spurs are not expected to have a free run at Mauricio Pochettino in the summer when his deal with the United States ends.

We reported that Real Madrid is also keen on bringing the Argentine to the Spanish capital, which could make for tough competition for Spurs.

With Madrid currently in a much better place than Tottenham, it remains to be seen if the Lilywhites can convince the Argentine to return to north London.