Southampton face struggle to stop Spurs pinching Pochettino

He’s the favourite in the betting to take over at White Hart Lane next season and that position has gained more credibility with the news that Mauricio Pochettino has been identified by Daniel Levy as Tottenham’s number one candidate.

Unlike the seemingly closed off two-horse race to replace David Moyes at Manchester United, the search for Tim Sherwood’s permanent Spurs replacement had appeared to involve turning plenty more stones.

Six men are currently afforded odds of 10/1 or less, with Napoli boss Rafa Benitez at that price.

Behind Rafa are Massimiliano Allegri and United target Louis Van Gaal at 8s, while Moyes himself and Frank De Boer sit at 5s, leaving current Southampton boss Pochettino as the 7/2 market leader.

It’s likely that Spurs are content with waiting until the end of the season to get their business done as the club are resigned to finishing outside of the Premier League’s top four after a mid-season dug-out switch.

However, rather than wait to see whether the deposed champions do indeed snap-up outgoing Dutch coach Van Gaal, according to the Daily Mirror, Levy is honing in on Pochettino.

The Argentine may not have spoken much English in post-match interviews this season, but Pochettino tends to let the football do the talking and has won many admirers in the process.

Southampton have played thrilling, high-pressing football this term which has the St.Mary’s residents on course to match their highest ever Premier League finish of eighth.

And it appears that Levy wants exactly what those Saints fans have been treated to this season when Sherwood gets the shunt this summer.

The south coast club are unlikely to let Pochettino go without a fight though and are currently trying to negotiate a new contract with the former Espanyol manager.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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