Tottenham Block Questions to Mauricio Pochettino About Manchester United, Future

Tottenham Hotspur blocked any questions about Mauricio Pochettino's future and links to Manchester United in the manager's press conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Everton.

Since Jose Mourinho was sacked as Red Devils boss on Tuesday, Pochettino has been widely touted as the Portuguese's long-term replacement.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been installed as caretaker boss at Old Trafford, but only until the end of the season, when a permanent replacement will be appointed.

Sky Sports News' Dharmesh Sheth attempted to broach the subject with Pochettino in Thursday's press conference, but Simon Felstein, Spurs' head of communications, shut him down saying he was "not prepared to have another press conference dominated by Manchester United."

Sheth was seemingly not attempting to ask a direct question about whether Pochettino would be interested in the role.

Before he was cut off, he referenced Les Reed, the former Southampton technical director, who recently praised Pochettino for not losing focus when he was being courted by Spurs back in 2014, per Sky Sports.

According to Jason Burt and Matt Law of the Telegraph, United are prepared to do "whatever it takes" to appoint Pochettino—even pay a mooted £42 million fee.

Three permanent managers have failed in their bids to emulate Sir Alex Ferguson, with David Moyes and Louis van Gaal both being sacked before Mourinho was appointed in 2016:

The former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid boss won the UEFA Europa League and EFL Cup while in charge at Old Trafford, and he also guided the Red Devils to second in the Premier League last term, their best finish since Ferguson's departure in 2013.

But Mourinho never engineered a title challenge as United manager, and he departed the club in acrimonious circumstances after their worst-ever start to a Premier League season.