Mauricio Pochettino has twice interviewed for the Manchester United manager job and is now the favourite to become the club's next boss.
Pochettino built his reputation in the Premier League during five-and-a-half years at Tottenham, where he twice came close to winning the title and led the club to a Champions League final. His earlier spell at Southampton was also well regarded, while his one-season stint at Chelsea, which ended two years ago, showed promise before his mutually agreed exit.
November 2018: The first approach
Manchester United reportedly came calling in late 2018, after the sacking of Jose Mourinho. According to The Mirror, Pochettino, who at the time had Tottenham third in the Premier League and was six months from the Champions League final, was a standout candidate with the approval of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was eventually handed the caretaker role and then the permanent job, staying in charge for just under three years.
March 2022: The second interview
Pochettino interviewed for the role in March 2022, while Ralf Rangnick was in caretaker charge, and ultimately lost out to Erik ten Hag. At the time, Pochettino was set to be sacked by Paris Saint-Germain, despite going on to win the Ligue 1 title that season, after a Champions League elimination by Real Madrid.
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Pochettino said: "I was under contract at PSG. After our Champions League elimination against Real Madrid, we had no option but to make sure we secured the Ligue 1 title at the least. United were in a hurry to announce their new manager before the end of that season because the situation had become unsustainable. I couldn't negotiate, whereas Ajax gave Ten Hag the flexibility to do so."
