Mauricio Pochettino would reportedly be keen on a return to Tottenham if Antonio Conte leaves the club this summer. Speculation continues to swirl around the Italian's future with fans frustrated at an underwhelming season.
Pochettino was a hugely popular figure among supporters during his five-year spell at the club, which ended in 2019. A succession of managers since his dismissal have tried and failed to take the club forward, making the prospect of a reunion more attractive for the Spurs hierarchy.
Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo implemented a style of football that failed to get fans onside, while Conte has followed suit. The former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss has spent the past three weeks away from the touchline while recovering from gallbladder surgery but he will return for Wednesday's Champions League clash with AC Milan.
An unlikely European triumph represents Conte's final chance of winning silverware with the Lilywhites, who have not won a major trophy since 2008.
Mauricio Pochettino would reportedly be willing to reopen his chapter at Tottenham (Image: GETTY)
It is seen as increasingly likely that Conte will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, if not before. According to The Times, Pochettino would be willing to step in if an offer is tabled.
The 51-year-old arrived in north London in 2014 after a brief but successful spell with Southampton. He led Tottenham to three consecutive top-three finishes between 2015 and 2018 but ultimately failed to get his hands on a trophy while in the dugout.
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Pochettino is supposedly one of the names under consideration if Spurs part company with Conte. Former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel is also thought to be in the mix, while Thomas Frank and Steve Cooper both have admirers in north London.
Despite Pochettino being given his marching orders by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy three-and-a-half years ago, the pair are said to maintain a friendly relationship. Sporting director Fabio Paratici could represent a major stumbling block in bringing the ex-Paris Saint-Germain manager back to the club, however.
Antonio Conte is back with Tottenham after a spell of recovery (Image: Getty)
Paratici has appointed two managers who prefer to play with a back five, while Pochettino tends to field a more traditional back four. Spurs' transfer business in recent windows has centred around getting the most out of Conte's wing-back system.
It remains to be seen whether Pochettino would be put off by the prospect of an internal power struggle with Paratici. The Argentine has been out of work for just shy of a year following his dismissal at PSG.
