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‘Pochettino has become the number one target for Newcastle, there is no doubt about that’ Guillem Balague

4 years ago
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Mauricio Pochettino is ‘very aware’ that he is the number target for Newcastle United’s imminent new owners.

Well connected journalist Guillem Balague says that the Saudi Arabia PIF financed bidders have four managerial targets on the table and hope to convince one of them to take on this NUFC project.

Balague says that Pochettino is definitely first choice but failing that, the new owners would like Allegri, Nagelsmann or Rafa Benitez.

The Spanish journalist is close to Benitez and he says that he understands that so far Rafa hasn’t had a call about the Newcastle job but that Pochettino was ‘very aware’ of the interest in him, long before Sky Sports broke the story.

Interesting to see Guillem Balague put forward the idea that maybe an ideal scenario would be for Rafa Benitez to get the job now and build the proper foundations for a ‘big club’, prepare it then later for somebody like Pochettino or similar to then take it on to another level.

It does make me wonder if Balague has been talking to Rafa and floating the idea on behalf of his mate, that kind of scenario would sound very appealing to a lot of Newcastle fans.

The journalist says that his information is that the Saudi PIF financed bid intends to do a Manchester City but progress much quicker. Well Man City after being taken over finished 10th, 5th, 3rd and 1st in the opening four Premier League seasons, so very ambitious to progress quicker than that.

I don’t believe any of the transfer stories we are being bombarded with, ridiculous claims of already in talks with this and that £80m / £100m player BUT I do believe the new owners will move very quickly to appoint a new manager after the takeover, or at least get a commitment very early and then let Steve Bruce potentially see out these remaining 2019/20 matches if / when the Premier League restarts.

Guillem Balague speaking on his YouTube account:

“I think Pochettino would like to go to a top club in Europe but there are no top clubs available – that could be PSG, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Real Madrid – they are not available.

“So the plan has been, until the big appearance of Newcastle, to stay put and wait for that opportunity to arise.

“I know that Pochettino has become the number one target for Newcastle, there is no doubt about that.

“What would I do in his position?

“Perhaps what he is doing now, just listening. If anybody calls, lets see what this project of Newcastle is about.

“Right now, everybody expects it to go through. So Saudi Arabia and the (Public Investment) Fund (of Saudi Arabia) would be in place to make all the changes they want to do.

“What do they want to do?

“They want to do another (Manchester) City but not in 10 years, they want to do it much much quicker.

“They will have to deal with Financial Fair Play and perhaps it would be better in my eyes to have a coach like Rafa Benitez, that could put the foundations of the club for somebody like Pochettino with then everything in place as a big club, with a changed mentality, to put them in the next step.

“In any case, what I know for sure is that Pochettino, Rafa Benitez and Allegri are the three names on the table for Newcastle.

“They want to convince one of them, or Nagelsmann of course, so actually one of those four.

“I believe Rafa Benitez hasn’t got a call yet.

“I know that Pochettino is aware of the interest, very aware of the interest, even before Sky Sports came out with the story.

“Pochettino is the number one target.”

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