'I have no interest in the Man Utd job' - Pochettino urged to publicly commit to Tottenham

Mauricio Pochettino has been urged by three men with strong Tottenham connections to end rumours linking him with Manchester United, despite Spurs banning him from discussing the matter.

In the wake of Jose Mourinho’s departure from Old Trafford, various candidates have been mooted as potential permanent successors to the Portuguese.

Ole Gunners Solskjaer has been handed the reins on an interim basis, but his current terms are only due to run until the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

Pochettino is among those being discussed as a contender to fill a high-profile post from next summer, with his credentials being talked up by a number of former United stars.

Unsurprisingly, those with ties with Tottenham would prefer him to stay put, with former frontman Clive Allen leading the calls for the Argentine to clarify his future.

He told talkSPORT: “I think he should come out and say, ‘I have no interest in the Manchester United job’.

“Obviously there is going to be speculation with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the position of temporary manager, and I think that speculation is going to continue throughout the rest of the season.”

Ex-Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who has already questioned why Pochettino would want to take a job with the Red Devils, added: “If Pochettino wants to stay at Tottenham, he’s got to come out and say ‘no, I’m staying here’.

“But at the moment he doesn’t seem to be saying that.”

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Part of the problem for Spurs supporters is that Pochettino is being prevented from shedding any more light on the matter, as his employers have banned all questions relating to United.

That leaves all concerned in a difficult position, with another former Tottenham boss, Tim Sherwood, not expecting a definitive call to be made any time soon.

He said: “I’m sure he will come out and he’ll toe the line by saying he’s concentrating fully on Tottenham, and that’s it.

“But that won’t satisfy everyone and the questions will continue.

“It’s a tough one for him.

“For me, he’s building something at Tottenham and he’s done brilliantly since he’s been with the club, but he’s half way through the project and I think he needs to continue and stay there.

“He’s still mid-40s so he’s always got time to go to a big giant.

“Only he will know.”