Mauricio Pochettino Reportedly Set to Stay at Tottenham Amid Real Madrid Rumours

Tottenham Hotspur's Mauricio Pochettino will reportedly reject the chance to become Real Madrid manager, although it's also been said Los Blancos are ready to be patient in pursuit of the Spurs boss. 

According to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, Pochettino won't force a move to the Santiago Bernabeu as he didn't want to be "labelled a mercenary," having only recently agreed a new long-term contract with the north London club.

In the report it's added that after showing loyalty to Spurs, the manager wants to see players do the same.

"Since agreeing his new deal, Pochettino has held talks with a number of key players, pleading with them to follow his example by signing extensions at Tottenham," continued Mokbel. "Among others, Pochettino has held face-to-face discussions with Christian Eriksen, who is now poised to sign fresh terms. Harry Kane and Dele Alli have also been lined up for improved contracts."

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Despite that, according to Adrian Kajumba of the Daily Mirror, Madrid haven't totally given up on getting the Tottenham manager to take over.

It's noted that in the past Madrid have aggressively pursued targets, although with the Tottenham boss now unlikely to make the switch, Los Blancos will this time "keep tabs on Pochettino from a distance and are considering their other options to replace Zinedine Zidane."

Pochettino has previously hinted he would be willing to listen to offers from Real if they were to arrive:

As noted by Simon Stone of BBC Sport, the fact Pochettino only recently penned an extension with Tottenham makes things complicated for Madrid:

The interest in the Spurs coach is no great shock, as Pochettino has done a tremendous job.

Since taking over the role in 2014, the former Argentina international has taken Spurs from an underachieving team into UEFA Champions League regulars. In each of the last three seasons Tottenham have finished in the top four of the Premier League despite spending far less than their rivals in the transfer market.

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The bedrock of Pochettino's success has been his coaching methods, which have helped those players at Tottenham make huge strides. The likes of Eriksen and Kane, in particular, have evolved into world-class performers under his tutelage.

The one area he has failed to deliver in so far is silverware, as the Have I Got News for You account joked:

Even so, there's no denying the calibre of the job done by Pochettino at Tottenham, and if they were to lose him to Madrid this summer then he would be a difficult man to replace.

According to Kajumba, the La Liga side are exploring other options in the form of Massimiliano Allegri, Antonio Conte and their former midfielder Guti. Given the success Zidane enjoyed—he won three European Cups in succession at the Bernabeu—whoever takes over the role has a difficult task on their hands.