Pochettino´s Real Madrid links are not a worry, insists Ardiles

Tottenham should not be worried about losing manager Mauricio Pochettino to Real Madrid, according to club legend Ossie Ardiles.

Pochettino has been linked as a possible successor to Zinedine Zidane at the Santiago Bernabeu, having impressed since taking charge at White Hart Lane in 2014.

The reports follow similar claims last season that Pochettino was in line to take over from Louis van Gaal at Manchester United – a job that eventually went to Jose Mourinho.

And Ardiles insists the Madrid reports, like the United links before them, are simply newspaper speculation.

“It’s not the biggest worry,” he said. “Of course he’s a man in demand because he’s doing an incredibly good job with Tottenham and long may it continue.

“But the press say a lot of things. Only last season he was linked with Manchester United.

“In fact, I talked to Mauricio three or four days later and he said: ‘Look, they said I am going to Manchester United and that my agent said I am going to sign for Manchester United. You know what Ossie? I don’t even have an agent!’ 

“This is what Mauricio Pochettino is, he’s completely different.

“When the Argentina national team was looking [for a new coach], definitely he was one of the favourites, but he was not involved at all. He said he was not interested and so on.

“He’s incredibly happy at the club and I hope he continues for a long time.”

Asked whether Pochettino could one day coach Argentina, Ardiles said: “It could happen, but at the moment he is the manager of Tottenham and he’s doing a tremendous job.”

Tottenham sit fifth in the Premier League after five wins from their opening 10 matches.