REVEALED: Mauricio Pochettino admitted PSG was his ‘dream’ job as early as 2016, as former Tottenham manager prepares to succeed Thomas Tuchel – with unhappy Dele Alli tipped as a January transfer target for a reunion with his former boss
- Paris Saint-Germain sacked manager Thomas Tuchel on Christmas Eve
- Move comes despite the manager leading his team to a 4-0 win on Wednesday
- Mauricio Pochettino is favourite to take over at the Parc des Princes
- Argentine has been without a job since being sacked by Spurs 13 months ago
- He revealed in a 2016 interview his desire to return to the club he once played for
Mauricio Pochettino has previously admitted that managing Paris Saint-Germain was his ‘dream’ job as he homes in on a potential return to the dugout at the French champions.
PSG are on the hunt for a new manager after axing Thomas Tuchel on Christmas Eve, just hours after he guided his side to a 4-0 win over Strasbourg.
Talks have reportedly already taken place between the club and the former Tottenham manager, who in a 2016 interview revealed it would be his dream to manage at the Parc des Princes, where he had enjoyed a spell as a player.
Mauricio Pochettino could be heading for a return to management with Paris Saint-Germain
PSG sacked boss Thomas Tuchel on Christmas Eve hours after his side recorded a 4-0 win
He told rmcsport: ‘One day I would like to train PSG. It’s part of my dreams. It’s a club that I follow a lot. I try to see all the matches. Especially in the Champions League.
I spoke with Jean-Louis Gasset (assistant to then manager Laurent Blanc) several times. Come back to Paris one day, why not? ‘
The 48-year-old has been out of work for 13 months since being replaced by Jose Mourinho at White Hart Lane, and has previously been considered as future options for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Should Pochettino land in Paris it could grease the wheels for a reunion with Spurs midfielder Dele Alli who shined under the Argentine while he was in charge at White Hart Lane.
Should Pochettino land in the PSG hotseat it could be the catalyst for Dele Alli to make a January switch to the French champions for a reunion with his former Tottenham boss
Alli has grown frustrated at his lack of first-team action at White Hart Lane under Jose Mourinho (second right) and kicked out in anger after being replaced in a win over Stoke
Pochettino brought Alli to Spurs for just £5million from MK Dons in 2015, with the midfielder proving integral to his lineup throughout his tenure before being sacked in November last year.
But despite Alli featuring prominently under Mourinho early on, he has since slid down the pecking order in recent months and was linked with a move to PSG as early as the summer.
After kicking out in frustration at being substituted in a Spurs win at Stoke on Wednesday, talks of his exit in January have increased and it is thought he would be in favour of linking up with his former boss in the French capital.
Pochettino enjoyed two years playing for PSG before departing the club in 2003
Pochettino enjoyed a two-year spell playing for PSG before leaving in 2003 but also admitted in the same interview that the French league was not an exciting one given his former side’s dominance of it – which has seen them win the title in seven of the last eight campaigns.
He revealed that while he did keep track of games, it was only to try and identify transfer targets for Spurs.
He added: ‘I watch a lot of matches live. The championship is not very attractive. PSG are very far from other teams. It loses a bit of attractiveness for Ligue 1.
‘I watch a lot because it is an important source of players. The players adapt well to English football. There is also talent. I have to follow this championship.’