Tottenham are braced for fresh interest in their inspirational manager Mauricio Pochettino from both Real Madrid and Manchester United, according to the Guardian.
The Argentine has fewer resources than his rivals, was given no new signings or stadium in the summer but still has his side six points off the top of the Premier League and able to perform as impressively as they did in the Nou Camp on Tuesday night.
By contrast, United and Madrid are the two richest clubs in the world but are struggling to create anything like the same cohesion from their lavishly-assembled squads.
And while it is easy to see why Pochettino may be tempted to trade in frugal Daniel Levy for the deep pockets of a genuine global superpower, Tottenham should remain confident of keeping him.
Last night both of Pochettino’s reported potential suitors were in European action and suffered putrid defeats which underlined the scale of the funk they find themselves in.
Santiago Solari’s Real side lost 3-0 at home to CSKA; pointing at the fact they were already qualified is no excuse for such an abject display in front of their own fans.
Added to Madrid’s reputation for firing managers quickly, that post-Ronaldo, post-Zidane struggle may put Pochettino off.
Meanwhile, United missed the chance to top their Champions League group by going down 2-1 to Valencia, who sit 15th in La Liga.
Can Pochettino really introduce identity and cohesion to that group or would he prefer to continue his Spurs journey? Spurs should feel confident they can win that battle, if they sort the stadium farce out before the summer.