Manchester United identify Mauricio Pochettino as Jose Mourinho’s successor

Jose Mourinho isn't going anywhere just yet.

Despite suggestions that he was fluttering his eyelashes at Paris Saint-Germain a few months ago, the Manchester United manager inked an extended deal at Old Trafford last month, putting to bed rumours he was eyeing a move elsewhere. For now, at least. Writing after United's 2-0 defeat to Tottenham at Wembley on Wednesday night, James Robson of the Manchester Evening News claims that the club's board still see Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino as an 'ideal successor' to Mourinho when the time eventually comes for him to leave. Clearly, the decision to extend Mourinho's stay at United means the club aren't expecting to appoint anyone else as manager in the near future, but Robson writes that Spurs' dominant performance over United will only strengthen the belief amongst the Old Trafford hierarchy that Pochettino is the perfect candidate to be their next manager. United are almost certainly not alone in eyeing Pochettino as a future manager. With Zinedine Zidane enduring a difficult season at Real Madrid, many reports have linked the Argentine with becoming the next manager at the Bernabeu. Given Florentino Perez's history of wasting little time when needing to make managerial changes, Pochettino might well be returning to Spain long before Mourinho is finished in Manchester. United are believed to be set to back Mourinho to spend big in the transfer market again this summer, as Mourinho bids to bring them their first Premier title since 2013 next season.