This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Bayern Munich will have to pay £25.5m if they want to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager, per Football Insider.
What’s the word?
The German club are, per the report, keen to bring in the Argentine after sacking Niko Kovac.
Hansi Flick is currently the club’s interim coach and Football Insider makes it clear that arrangement could continue until the end of the season.
Pochettino, is seen as a potential candidate to take over in the summer, though they could face competition from Manchester United.
That is despite Spurs struggling this season; they currently lie 14th, 11 points off the top four.
Don’t sack him
The report states that Pochettino will have three years remaining on his contract come the end of the season and that he currently earns £8.5m-per-year, which equates to a compensation fee of £25.5m.
It financial makes sense, then, for chairman Daniel Levy to keep faith in the Argentine, even it is for cynical reasons.
One has to believe that the club have a mountain to climb if they are to qualify for the Champions League this season – they have not won any of their last five league games – but they would be missing out on a potentially mammoth fee if they were to hand Pochettino his P45.
Football FanCast understands that RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann is the club’s first-choice to replace Pochettino but he has a contract that runs until 2023.
If they keep the Argentine around and Bayern come in with an offer, Spurs can bank over £25m which could be used to bring in Pochettino’s successor.
It remains to be seen, of course, if their hand will be forced, particularly if Spurs remain in midtable after the hectic Christmas period but, at this stage, it makes sense for him to remain in the north London dugout.
