Manchester United's contact with former Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde may have just hampered their chances of landing Mauricio Pochettino on an immediate basis...

What's the story?

According to a BBC Sport report by Simon Stone, the Red Devils' hierarchy have been in touch with the 57-year-old Spanish manager regarding the role of interim manager until the end of the current campaign.

Yet, in a big twist to what had originally been reported, BBC followed that up with the following claim: "They [Man United] feel recruiting Paris St-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino immediately may not be as straightforward as has been suggested."

Man Utd fans will be concerned

The Spanish tactician is a proven winner who boasts an impressive CV, including two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey during his two-and-a-half-year spell at the Camp Nou, as well as three Greek titles and two Greek Cup victories with Olympiacos.

However, despite Valverde's credentials, large sections of the United fanbase are likely to be concerned that the Glazers and co. are pressing ahead with their plans for an interim manager instead of chasing hard for a certain Pochettino who looks less likely to exit PSG now.

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By doing that, it may be seen as essentially writing a season off by many associated with the 20-time English champions, and with a squad as stacked with talent as theirs is, that is a bold call to make.

Previous reports indicated that Pochettino would be available after becoming unhappy with life in Paris, providing hope that the former Tottenham Hotspur boss would fill the Old Trafford hot seat at the second time of asking.

But now in a fresh twist, it seems as though United may have to wait until the summer to get their man, with the delay potentially causing their season to fall into disarray. Considering the Argentine's expertise of getting into the top four with Spurs, not being able to prise him away from Paris is a significant blow to the rest of their chances this term.

It remains to be seen who replaces Solskjaer in both the short and long-term, but United fans will want a quick solution to what could easily become a rather messy and embarrassing situation. Sadly, this doesn't look like the case.

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