Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has told ESPN FC he is interested in managing a Major League Soccer side in the future, saying: “Of course I see myself there one day.”
Pochettino has taken charge of International Champions Cup matches in Orlando, New Jersey, Nashville, San Diego, Pasadena and Minnesota in the last 18 months, and his Spurs side won the 2018 edition of the summer tournament.
Sitting down to speak exclusively to ESPN FC, Pochettino was asked if he can see himself managing on the other side of the Atlantic, and he replied: “Yes why not?
“Generally, we go over to the United States every summer for preseason. Every year you see this growth with the fans. It’s a country where there’s a lot of things to discover and football is growing incredibly.
“Why not? I don’t close doors. It’s clear that it’s an attractive country for football nowadays, but I think with more time and in many more years it’ll be even more attractive. Of course, I see myself there one day.”
Pochettino’s future has been the source of much speculation, with Manchester United and Real Madrid both eyeing the 46-year-old.
He admitted to ESPN FC in an exclusive interview that Tottenham cannot compete with their wealthier rivals in the transfer market and have to develop their own players rather than signing proven stars who can immediately improve the side.
That difficulty has been underlined by the fact that, with only one day of the January transfer window remaining, Spurs are yet to sign any players, having also failed to recruit anyone in the summer.
Sources have told ESPN that Manchester United, who appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in December as caretaker after sacking Jose Mourinho, will assess all options in the event of being unable to land top target Pochettino.
His admission that he can envisage a future in the U.S. opens up another possible avenue for the in-demand Spurs manager, even if that move might come later in his career.