Manchester City should look to appoint axed Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino in the summer if Pep Guardiola decides to leave the club, according to Trevor Sinclair.
Pochettino was sacked as Spurs manager on Tuesday night after five-and-a-half years in charge, and was quickly replaced with Jose Mourinho on Wednesday morning.
It means one of the world’s most in-demand coaches is now suddenly available for free, and Pochettino will have no shortage of suitors.
The Argentine, who led Spurs to four consecutive top-four finishes in the Premier League and to last season’s Champions League final, has been linked with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, who are currently on the hunt for a new permanent manager.
But Sinclair has major doubts over Guardiola’s long-term future at the Etihad Stadium.
The City legend has previously told talkSPORT he fears the former Barcelona and Bayern boss could decide to quit the Premier League champions over his frustrations with VAR.
And he says Pochettino would be the perfect man to succeed him.
Speaking to talkSPORT host Jim White on Wednesday, Sinclair said: “Pochettino is an absolutely top-class manager.
“For the brand, any club would want him. He says the right things, he’s got humility and you can tell he’s got really good principles.
“You can tell he wouldn’t have walked away from that job, whatever his contract was he would have finished that contract.
“How much would he have cost if a club went in to purchase him from Tottenham two weeks ago? Fortunes! And now he’s free!
“I’m looking at the situation at Man City, and I haven’t heard anything, but Pep Guardiola looks irritated this season.
“Not with the club, not with the owners, not with his team. He looks like he’s had enough of VAR.
“And, he’s been at the club a few years and he doesn’t tent to hang about.
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“If he does walk away – I’m not saying he will – but if he did walk away from Man City in the summer, I think Pochettino would be the PERFECT candidate to come in and take that hotseat.
“I know it’s all ifs and buts.
“But he is a top, top-class manager and probably every club in the world will be looking at this situation at the moment.”
