Manchester United are reported to have approached former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino with a view to him replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their manager.
Solskjaer is under intense pressure following back-to-back defeats by Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday
and Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League three days later and he now leads the bookmakers’ sack race.
And according to the Manchester Evening News, United have contacted Pochettino’s representatives.
It has been reported previously that Pochettino is keen to manage United at some point and that stance is not believed to have changed.
The move comes despite United insiders privately backing Solskjaer prior to Wednesday night’s defeat and a reluctance within the club to sack him so early in the season.
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Saturday’s visit to Everton has become crucial for Solskjaer as United could end the weekend sitting 17th in the Premier League table if they lose at Goodison Park.
It follows an inconsistent start to the season that has included a 6-1 humiliation at the hands of Tottenham but Champions League wins over Paris Saint-Germain and Leipzig.
They are currently 15th in the Premier League table having lost three of their opening six matches
United insist Solskjaer still has their backing and no approach has been made for Pochettino to replace him.
Pochettino, the former Southampton and Tottenham manager, is the bookmakers’ odds-on favourite to be the next United boss.
The trip to Everton is United’s last fixture before a two-week international break that has become synonymous with managerial sackings.
Solskjaer dismissed speculation over his future in the wake of the defeat in Istanbul, which saw some horrendous defending for Basaksehir’s first goal.
“I decline to comment on such a thing,’ said Solskjaer.
“Of course it’s early on and opinions are out there all the time and you’ve got to stay strong.
“I’m employed by the club to do a job and I do that to the best of my ability with our staff.”
Pochettino has been on United’s managerial shortlists in the past and made
it clear during an appearance on Sky’s Monday Night Football this week that he is ready for a new challenge.”
“I am always ready to be involved in the game again. I love football. It’s my passion, not my job.
“I am looking forward to being involved in the game again, I love the game. It’s difficult; we are inside, we are working,
we are doing things but it is not the same thing to be involved every day,
to share it with your players, your staff and your club. You miss that.”
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