Pochettino says Manchester United missed out on him because they were in a hurry and he could not negotiate

Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that Manchester United have always shown interest in him. The ideal scenario to manage there has never quite materialised.

The Argentine coach explained that a famous lunch with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2016, while he was at Tottenham, was simply a meeting between colleagues and had nothing to do with the United job. He recounted how Ferguson asked for his phone number after a game against Southampton, and the lunch ended with Pochettino paying the bill after correctly naming an Argentine scorer from the 1930 World Cup final.

Pochettino stated that a later move fell through because he was under contract and could not negotiate, while Manchester United were in a hurry to appoint a new manager before the end of that season.

Pochettino poised to take United job as Carrick's exit looms

Pochettino is widely expected to replace Michael Carrick at Old Trafford, with Manchester United chiefs meeting in Monaco this week to discuss the club's next steps. His USMNT contract is reported to have a $10 million break clause, which was extended over the summer following the United States' World Cup campaign.

Trafford sees Mauricio Pochettino close to United helm amid crisis