Tottenham: new deal for England star; Pochettino’s position threatened

Add as preferred source on Google

Reports coming out of Argentina today suggest that the country’s FA intend to approach Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino about the possibility of becoming the new national team manager.

La Nacion, the newspaper making the claim, also state that Atlético Madrid’s Diego Simeone and Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli are also to be approached about the role. This comes after yet another disappointing tournament defeat for La Albiceleste, as they were beaten on penalties in the Copa America final by Chile. In the aftermath of the game, manager Gerardo Martino handed in his resignation and Lionel Messi retired from international football.

Embed from Getty Images

Being asked to take charge of one’s country is an honour for any coach, and Pochettino would be lying if he said it was not something he has dreamed of. However, the former Argentina international is viewed as one of the brightest up-and-coming managers in the world right now, and with there being the feeling that he is on the cusp of something great at White Hart Lane, walking away from club football may not be on his mind at this minute. The same applies to Simeone, whose stock is also sky high right now, therefore the Argentine FA will have to pull out all the stops to persuade either of them to take the job.

Pochettino is contracted to Spurs until 2022 and if he was to take the job, then his first task would be to convince Messi to reverse his recent decision to retire. A number of other stars, including Sergio Aguero and Javier Mascherano, have also said that they are considering their international futures, so the 44-year-old would have his work cut out to galvanise the team before the next World Cup.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph are reporting that Eric Dier has been offered a new five-year-contract with the club after reported interest from clubs around the continent.

Embed from Getty Images

The 22-year-old was one of few England players to come out of the European Championships with any credit, and he was linked with Bayern Munich earlier this month when Carlo Ancelotti claimed he was one of the players of the tournament. Spurs have moved to keep the defensive midfielder at the club by offering him a new deal worth £70,000 week, making him one of the club’s best paid players.

Dier only signed a new five-year-deal last summer, but the club’s hierarchy hope that a new deal with better pay will ensure that the player does not get itchy feet. Alongside Dele Alli and Harry Kane, Dier proved to be one of Tottenham’s key players as they finished in an admirable third position last term, and Pochettino will be well aware that if they are to improve even further then it is imperative that they keep hold of their best players.

Featured image: all rights reserved by Kody platter