Mauricio Pochettino has revealed he would have returned to manage Tottenham Hotspur this summer, even had the club been relegated to the Championship, but the timing never worked in his favour. The USA head coach explained that when he was available, Spurs had not made contact, and when they did approach him, he was contracted to the United States and preparing for the World Cup, leaving the move impossible to pursue.

Spurs sacked Thomas Frank in February and initially planned to assess candidates properly once interim boss Igor Tudor's spell ended, knowing Pochettino would only be free after the World Cup. When Tudor's tenure faltered, with Spurs just a point above the relegation zone, they turned instead to Roberto De Zerbi, who accepted a long-term offer after initially rejecting Spurs when Frank was dismissed. Pochettino, who managed Tottenham for five and a half years from 2014, has just signed a new four-year contract with US Soccer running to the 2030 World Cup, but says he has always been open to helping Spurs and does not rule out managing England one day.