Mauricio Pochettino is poised to leave Paris Saint-Germain after growing frustrated with the pressure of managing the French club, according to reports.
Pochettino is under contract with PSG for a further 18 months but could cut short his stay in Paris at the end of the season, if he is not dismissed beforehand.
The 49-year-old took over from Thomas Tuchel in January 2021 and, despite sitting 11 points clear at the top of Ligue 1, he has encountered many of the problems his predecessor complained of.
Pochettino’s position as PSG manager has come under scrutiny once again after PSG were knocked out of the French Cup in the last-16 by Nice on penalties on Monday night.
The result has increased the strains behind the scenes at PSG, which were already growing visible during January.
Le Parisien reports that PSG were approaching other managers last month to gauge their interest in taking over from the beleaguered Pochettino.
Former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane was one of those contacted, but is reportedly unwilling to take the job yet.
One of the reasons behind Zidane’s stance is that he does not want to come up against Real in the last-16 of the Champions League later this month.
The feeling of discontent is mutual between Pochettino and the hierarchy of his club, including sporting director Leonardo.
And things could come to a head if the Argentine does not oversee victory against the Spanish giants.
After losing in the final to Bayern Munich in 2020 under Tuchel, PSG are desperate to win the Champions League and could fire Pochettino if he is knocked out by Real following the second leg of the tie on March 9.
That eventuality may well suit Pochettino, who is ‘fed up’ with the role, according to Foot Mercato .
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The French outlet says that Pochettino’s stint in charge has mirrored Tuchel’s, with the former Spurs manager frustrated with the way the club is run.
He is said to be irritated by the way his chosen style of play is repeatedly questioned by the media and is annoyed by the level of his players in general.
Despite having a star-studded squad which includes Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi and Gianluigi Donnarumma, there is a sense the team is underperforming.
Pochettino is also understood to be unhappy with the club’s transfer activity: he asked for the signing of Tanguy Ndombele, only to see the midfielder, whom he signed for a club-record fee of £55million at Tottenham, join Lyon in January.
News of friction behind the scenes at PSG is nothing new, but it will certainly interest Manchester United, who have frequently been linked with Pochettino.
United are on the lookout for a new manager, with interim boss Ralf Rangnick set to step down in the summer.
Pochettino has long been on the radar at Old Trafford and is in the running for the position alongside the likes of Erik Ten Hag of Ajax, Spain head coach Luis Enrique and Sevilla's Julen Lopetugui, as per The Athletic .
