Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo is adamant head coach Mauricio Pochettino is going nowhere before his contract expires in 2023.
A number of media outlets in England claim Pochettino has been marked as Manchester United’s preferred option as a long-term solution following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The 20-time English champions are reportedly close to appointing Ralph Rangnick as an interim boss for the remaining part of the season, after which the German would remain at the club in a consulting capacity. But a new manager is set to come in and take charge of the team next summer.
Apart from Pochettino, the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Brendan Rodgers, Lucien Favre and Rudi Garcia have all been considered by the United hierarchy.
However, it’s quite obvious that the French giants have no intention of stepping aside and allowing anyone to take their man at will. They have been linked with Zidane as well, as a possible replacement should the Argentinian go back to England in the summer. There were even reports claiming they had already held initial talks with the former Real Madrid boss, but Leonardo has dismissed them.
“I think it’s important to clarify the situation given the amount of false information circulating. Mauricio Pochettino is under contract with the club until 2023,” the Brazilian told AFP.
“We do not want Pochettino to leave. He never asked to leave and no club contacted us in relation to him.
“We have a lot of respect for Zinedine Zidane, for what he did as a player and coach, but I can tell you very clearly that there is no contact and that no meeting with him has taken place.
“It’s ridiculous to imagine that a meeting with Zinedine Zidane could have taken place in a big hotel in Paris in front of the eyes of everyone.”
