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Mauricio Pochettino: Why the Tottenham boss arranged meeting with Manchester United great Sir Alex Ferguson

The pair were pictured leaving a restaurant in central London at lunchtime on Tuesday
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Ferguson went up against Pochettino's Southampton side during the 2012/13 season Getty

Mauricio Pochettino arranged his meeting with the former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson himself and it was nothing more than a casual social engagement, it has been revealed.

The pair were pictured leaving a Mayfair restaurant together at lunchtime on Tuesday, sparking speculation that Pochettino could be in line to replace the under-pressure Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford.

Ferguson, who has remained at the club as a director since retiring from management in 2013, has voiced his admiration for the Tottenham Hotspur manager in the past and retains some influence in United’s boardroom.

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Pochettino meets with Man Utd director Sir Alex Ferguson

According to the Press Association, however, Pochettino set-up the meeting of his own accord, having previously arranged to meet the Scot after speaking with him at a League Managers Association event.

Previous attempts to meet were cancelled due to other commitments but Pochettino, who has verbally agreed a new five-year deal at White Hart Lane, was determined to fulfil the arrangement on this occasion.

The 44-year-old Argentinian coach informed his employers that he would be lunching with Ferguson and as they met in central London, during the middle of the day, there was little attempt to keep their engagement under wraps.

Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward

Players Manchester United have failed to sign under Ed Woodward

  • 1/11 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

    United were wary of entering the race to sign Ramos last summer, knowing he could well be using their interest to land himself a bigger contract. Nevertheless, United moved for the Real captain, and sure enough his “fractured” relationship with Real president Florentino Perez was suddenly patched up and he agreed a five-year contract extension.

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  • 2/11 Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)

    Hummels was linked with United in the summer of 2015 after putting his Dortmund future in doubt, alerting United that he could be available as a much-needed defensive target. The Germany international elected to stay in Dortmund though, and has now ended any chance of joining United in the near future by returning to Bayern Munich.

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  • 3/11 Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid)

    United were heavily linked with a loan move for Coentrao in United’s first transfer window under David Moyes and Ed Woodward. Things didn’t go according to plan though, and the move collapsed to leave the pair – Woodward in particular – facing criticism over his handling of the deal and his experience in the football world.

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  • 4/11 Ander Herrera (Athletic Bilbao)

    Another player who failed to complete a move during Moyes’s reign despite appearing nailed on to do so. ‘United officials’ arrived in Spain to tie up the deal for Herrera, only to be exposed as imposters as United had not sent anyone from the club. The move collapsed, and United would later sign Herrera the following year for an inflated fee.

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  • 5/11 Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona)

    A year before Fabregas sealed his return to England with Chelsea, United had attempted to sign the former Arsenal captain. Again, with Moyes at the helm and repeated declarations of interest, United were unable to agree a deal with Barcelona, and the Spaniard remained with the Catalans for another year before heading to Stamford Bridge and leading them to the Premier League title.

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  • 6/11 Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich)

    Kroos had fallen out of favour under Pep Guardiola and the club made it clear that he was available for transfer. That alerted United, but despite making an official offer for the Germany international, he instead joined Real Madrid in 2014.

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  • 7/11 Thiago Alcantara (Barcelona

    At the same time as their pursuit of Fabregas, United attempted to sign Thiago from Barcelona. The scenario was different in that Thiago had made it clear he was leaving the club after failing to see regular first-team action under the late Tito Vilanova, but the result proved the same as he chose to snub United in order to join Bayern

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  • 8/11 Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)

    After a difficult second season in Spain, Bale’s future was under a degree of uncertainty. Rumours of player unrest and a desire to return to England were denied by Bale, but that didn’t stop United from launching a move for the Wales international. Real stood firm though and Bale remains a Real superstar, having inspired them through the Champions League semi-finals.

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  • 9/11 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

    Ronaldo has always expressed his desire to “one day” return to Old Trafford after making his name there. United would certainly welcome him back with open arms, but despite hinting at moves for the Portuguese a deal has never been found and United fans continue to wait for their favourite son to return home.

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  • 10/11 Neymar (Barcelona)

    United made no secret about their pursuit of Neymar last summer, although there is some uncertainty over whether United were serious about their interest or if it was one to appease the fans’ clamour for a big signing. Neymar was unsure about his future at Barcelona due to his concerns over the tax rate in Spain, but United failed to persuade Barcelona to sell and he remains at the Nou Camp.

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  • 11/11 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)

    United’s move for Neymar came after they were told in no uncertain terms to stop trying to sign Muller because he wasn’t leaving Bayern Munich. The German was reluctant to leave the Bundesliga champions despite Van Gaal’s interest, and instead of Neymar or Muller, United ended up with Anthony Martial instead.

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After announcing his intention to stay on in north London last month and while discussing the benefits of longevity in management, Pochettino made specific reference to Ferguson.

"Sir Alex Ferguson is a very special person. He was given the security to build his legacy at Manchester United," he said. "But I believe we are special too and we can build it here together."

Ferguson’s admiration for Pochettino was revealed earlier this year by the Member of Parliament for Tottenham, David Lammy.

"About six weeks ago, I sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson at a dinner in support of grassroots football abroad,” Lammy revealed. “He said to me, 'I think you guys have got the best manager in the Premier League.' Alex Ferguson said that."

Hiddink falls into dugout after Chelsea-Tottenham clash

The Scot emerged victorious from his single meeting with Pochettino as a manager, defeating the Argentinian's Southampton side 2-1 at Old Trafford in January 2013.

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