Tottenham Hotspur legend Ricky Villa has backed Mauricio Pochettino to sidestep advances from Chelsea to complete a dramatic return to his former club Spurs.
What's the latest manager news involving Tottenham Hotspur?
Tottenham have been involved in a drawn-out process to find a permanent successor to Antonio Conte, with several managers having been touted for the role.
Former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann has held discussions with the Spurs' hierarchy; however, discussions look to have hit a 'stumbling block' over uncertainty surrounding the sporting director position vacated by Fabio Paratici, as per The Telegraph.
Other candidates have also emerged, such as Burnley manager Vincent Kompany, Feyenoord's Arne Slot and former Leicester City head coach Brendan Rodgers, as cited by Football London.
Nevertheless, Villa has told talkSPORT that Pochettino should be the number one contender for the role and admitted he will meet with him next week amid his links to the Chelsea vacancy:
"We need Pochettino back into the team."
“It’s not my decision. It’s the decision of the chairman [Daniel Levy]. I meet next week [with] Pochettino and we see what [will] happen. If he’s going to Chelsea or waiting for the club.”
Would Mauricio Pochettino be a good hire by Tottenham Hotspur?
Mauricio Pochettino’s time in north London did not bring the club the trophies which they crave, however, it did bring an impressive level of consistency.
The Argentine was able to lead Spurs to four top-four finishes across his five full campaigns in charge of the Lilywhites (via Transfermarkt).
This is something which has not been easy for the managers who have followed since his departure with only one Champions League finish in the four seasons since his departure – presuming they don’t pull off a miracle in the final weeks.
Although Spurs fans will want the club to bring an end to their trophy drought, returning to Champions League football will be a key priority for the club.
Seeing Pochettino return to N17 could also see a number of the club’s young prospects offered an opportunity which has not been the case under the likes of Antonio Conte.
Djed Spence fell victim to the Italian’s strict philosophy but the potential return of Pochettino could possibly see the Englishman play a role at Spurs ahead of next season.
However, in potentially bringing Pochettino back, Daniel Levy would have to swallow a great deal of pride given he only sacked the Argentine a few years ago.
