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Football

26th Oct 2020

Mauricio Pochettino one of two candidates to replace Pep Guardiola at Man City

Simon Lloyd

Pochettino is now linked with the other job in Manchester

How long Pep Guardiola remains in charge at Manchester City is still a little unclear.

Although the club’s most decorated manager has spoken of his willingness to extend his contract beyond next summer, so far, there has been little indication that a new deal is close.

And so, speculation linking other managers to Guardiola’s job has quietly begun, with the Daily Mail claiming City are interested in former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as a potential successor to the Catalan.

Pochettino has been out of work since leaving Spurs a year ago, though, even as recently as this month, has been linked with replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United boss.

The idea of Pochettino following Guardiola as City manager doesn’t seem too far fetched at all. Both men’s coaching philosophies have been heavily influenced by Marcelo Bielsa and, while not identical, contain plenty of similarities. A move for him would perhaps smoothen the transition from one era to the next.

The former Spurs and Southampton boss is not the only name City have in mind, however. The same report claims they are also keeping a close eye on RB Leipzig’s Julian Nagelsmann, whose reputation continues to soar after guiding the Bundesliga club to the cusp of a Champions League final in the summer.

Still only 33, Nagelsmann has been linked with numerous big jobs in Europe since taking Hoffenheim to a fourth place finish in the Bundesliga in 2017.

Having turned down an approach from Real Madrid, he has continued to impress after taking the role at Leipzig last year.