Tottenham Hotspur are facing the prospect of having to pay a fee to buy Mauricio Pochettino out of his United States contract, which is due to expire in August.
The North London club are looking to make a permanent appointment in the summer, and Pochettino is one of the leading contenders.
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Spurs are keen for the Argentine coach to return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; however, his commitments to the USA at the 2026 World Cup has prevented the deal from happening sooner.
The Lilywhites were expected to move for the 46-year-old once the tournament was over, but his contract could complicate matters.
Mauricio Pochettino’s USA contract runs until August
Tottenham Hotspur will have to pay the United States national team a fee to get Mauricio Pochettino out of his contract before the Premier League season starts, according to Ben Jacobs.
It was expected that Pochettino’s deal with the United States was due to expire in July, but that is not the case, and it could make the deal a bit trickier.
Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “Pochettino is not an out-and-out free agent immediately after the 2026 World Cup. My information is that the contract runs on intentionally into August rather than July.
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“That means that if anyone wants Pochettino for the first Premier League game of the season, they’re going to have to pay something to US soccer or he has to start late, which is obviously very problematic.”
The return of Pochettino does feel inevitable, and if both parties are keen for it to happen, Spurs will surely make a big push to get a deal done.
Roberto De Zerbi is a strong contender for the Spurs job
Pochettino is not the only coach hotly in the running for the Spurs job, as Roberto De Zerbi is also very much appreciated by the board.
The North London club are expected to make a big push to sign the former Marseille coach, along with Pochettino.
Speaking about other contenders, Jacobs added: “My new information on Roberto De Zerbi is that Tottenham are going to make a really big push.
“But with Roberto De Zerbi, he’s not going to go to Tottenham until he knows what position they’re in. But if they stay up, don’t discount a big push from Tottenham for Roberto De Zerbi.
” Everybody assumes that Mauricio Pochettino is the leading contender, and Pochettino is also open to a return.
“But there are two leading contenders for Tottenham, and the other is Roberto De Zerbi. And he shouldn’t be discounted from the conversation.”
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