Krishnan Sreekumar
PSG could avoid compensation if Mauricio Pochettino departs for Manchester United
According to The Telegraph (Subscription Required), Manchester United could save PSG a massive compensation package if the English club decides to appoint incumbent boss Mauricio Pochettino as their new permanent manager.
The Premier League side are currently led by Ralf Rangnick, who was appointed on an interim basis until the summer to help guide the team to a top-four spot and ensure that they finish the season strongly by qualifying for the Champions League next season.
The German is expected to give up his role in charge of the club at the end of the campaign, and a new permanent manager is expected to lead the team out next season. The Manchester side are currently on the hunt for their next head coach, and Pochettino is a leading candidate for the job.
The Argentine has prior Premier League experience with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, with the manager being responsible for the two sides often punching above their weight and causing upsets some of the English elite. This makes him a suitable candidate for the United role, although nothing is confirmed as of yet.
Compensation package avoided
In Paris, however, Pochettino has not enjoyed the best of times while being in charge of Paris Saint-Germain. He is expected to depart the French giants in one form or another after he oversaw the team’s Champions League exit earlier this month, despite having a 2-0 aggregate lead over Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
If the Ligue 1 side were to fire the Argentine, they would have to pay the manager and his staff a compensation package that comes up to between £15m and £20m. However, they could be saved from paying this pricey bill if United do them a favour and snap up the head coach for themselves, which works out well for both clubs involved.
In an ideal world, this works out properly for all parties involved in this potential transaction, given that PSG get rid of Pochettino, the Red Devils gain a new permanent manager, and the Argentine achieves his ambitions of leading the Old Trafford side.
However, the former Spurs manager faces competition in the form of Ajax Amsterdam’s Erik ten Hag, who is also a leading candidate for the vacant manager role at United. In fact, the Manchester side have already met with the Dutchman as they began a thorough interview process to determine their new boss.
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Between ten Hag and Pochettino, it is too close to call as to who is the favourite to be offered the job. While Pochettino has prior experience in the English top-flight and has performed well at his previous employers in the league, ten Hag has the better CV when it comes to winning trophies – something that the Theatre of Dreams has not seen in a long time.
Speaking in a strictly financial sense, PSG will be hoping that United do them a massive favour and take Pochettino off their hands to save them from paying a hefty bill. However, there has been no advanced dialogue between the ex-Saints man and the Old Trafford outfit, which means that the French side will need to play the waiting game to see what happens in the summer.
