This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Daniel Levy may believe he has pulled off a masterstroke if he has included a clause within Mauricio Pochettino’s contract that appears to preclude him from moving to another Premier League club.
The Daily Express reports that the ex-Spurs boss was given a £12.5m pay-off when he left the club.
However, if he wishes to take another job in England before the end of the season, he will have to give the entirety of the money back to Levy.
Of course, he has been linked with a number of jobs since his departure from Spurs.
Manchester United are struggling under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer while Arsenal have sacked Unai Emery. Both clubs have reportedly identified Pochettino as a potential acquisition.
But the clause should matter little.
He’s available and is a manager with an incredible track record. At Spurs, he built a squad capable of challenging for the Premier League title and reaching the Champions League final. He didn’t win any silverware but he is a progressive, forward-thinking boss.
He could potentially work wonders at United with a squad that is currently leaning heavily on young players, though it remains to be seen if he would be willing to move to a club that have struggled to finish in the top four consistently in recent seasons. They have finished in the Champions League qualification places on one occasion – when they finished second under current Spurs boss Jose Mourinho in 2017/18 – in the last four campaigns.
Arsenal is a prospect that does not bear thinking about for most Spurs supporters but there is an excellent squad there that could do with a magic touch; Tottenham fans will tell you that Pochettino has one of those.
But the £12.5m fee should only be the beginning of any conversation.
The finances behind managerial appointments are rarely made clear but Pochettino was reportedly earning £8.5m-per-year during his time at Spurs.
He would surely want similar were he to join either United or Arsenal and they would likely have to fund the compensatory price that Pochettino would need to pay back too.
If that were the case, they’d be facing up to a £21m bill to appoint the Argentine. Neither Arsenal nor United would bat an eyelid at paying that for a player.
When one really thinks about it, it is small change for two clubs who are looking to return to the elite. If they want to make a genuine statement by appointing Pochettino, they should pay up.
It would be something that would surely leave Levy with mixed emotions, with £12.5m back in his pocket but with the potential prospect of seeing the man he sacked shine at a Premier League rival.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans hailed one man after his excellent display against Bournemouth.