Manchester United have reportedly approached Mauricio Pochettino with a view to him replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their manager.
Solskjaer is under huge pressure after back-to-back defeats to Arsenal in the Premier League and Istanbul Basaksehir in the UEFA Champions League.
According to the Manchester Evening News, United have now contacted Pochettino’s representatives. It has been reported previously that he is keen to manage the club at some point and that position is not believed to have changed.
The move comes despite United insiders backing Ole Solskjaer prior to Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat and a reluctance within the club to sack him so early in the campaign.
Their game against Everton on Saturday has become crucial for Solskjaer as United could end the weekend sitting 17th in the League table if they lose.
It follows a poor start to the season that has included a 6-1 humiliation at the hands of Mourinho’s Tottenham but Champions League victories over Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.
Pochettino, the former Southampton and Tottenham head coach, is the favourite to take over from Pochettino as the next United manager.
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Solskjaer dismissed speculation over his future after the defeat in Istanbul, which saw some calamitous 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.’
And, Pochettino has made it clear during an appearance on Sky’s Monday Night Football that he is ready for a new challenge, saying: ‘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.’
