‘Huge’—USMNT’s Compensation Demands for Mauricio Pochettino Amid Tottenham Pursuit

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly billed Mauricio Pochettino as their “ideal new manager” after bringing an abrupt end to Thomas Frank’s tenure but it would take a “huge,” potentially record-breaking compensation fee to extract the U.S. men’s national team head coach from his contract before this summer’s World Cup.

Pochettino’s deal runs until the conclusion of the tournament which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. All 17 months of Pochettino’s reign for the USMNT have been explicitly geared towards the global jamboree on home soil, yet he has made little secret of his desire to return to club management.

Several members of the Tottenham board are said to “still admire” Pochettino and want to appoint him “immediately,” according to The Independent. However, that will come at a cost.

When the prospect of Pochettino’s terms first being broken were raised last year, BBC Sport quoted a source within the United States Soccer Federation who claimed that it would take “one of the biggest financial compensation fees in football history” for any team to pry the 53-year-old away.

Most Expensive Managers in Soccer History

Julian Nagelsmann cost a pretty penny when signed by Bayern Munich. | IMAGO/Eibner

Tottenham are no strangers to splashing the cash on a coaching hire. The acquisition of Thomas Frank and his fleet of backroom staff from Brentford cost £6.7 million ($9.2 million). However, it would reportedly take more than triple that sum to secure Pochettino’s services.

The lucrative terms of the deal which the former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss agreed with the USSF is thought to earn him an annual salary of £4.6 million. It also comes with a buyout clause valued in the same region as the £21.7 million Bayern Munich paid for Julian Nagelsmann in 2021.

The most expensive managerial appointment in Premier League history belongs to Chelsea, who spent roughly £21.5 million on getting Graham Potter out of Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022. The revered tactician got a sharp haircut and bought a turtleneck jumper but managed to torch his reputation during a disastrous 31-game stint. Without even taking his salary into consideration, that’s about £700,000 per match.

Would Mauricio Pochettino Dump the USMNT Four Months Out From the World Cup?

Pochettino has made his position abundantly apparent. “I would like one day to come back,” the former Spurs boss bluntly told Sky Sports last March.

“Look, when I left the club I always remember one interview I said I would like one day to come back to Tottenham and that is of course...” he trailed off. “I am in the USA, I am not going to ... no, I’m not going to talk about that, but what I said then still after six years or five years, I still feel in my heart that, yes, I would like one day to come back.”

This overt stance on returning to N17 was undoubtedly linked to the presence of Daniel Levy, the club’s former chairman who Pochettino still has a “very good relationship” with. However, Levy was relieved of his duties back in September, paving the way for a new-look leadership group without any obvious ties to the USMNT boss.

That hasn’t stopped Pochettino pining after the Premier League.

As recently as December, the Argentine coach opened himself up to a return to club management in England. “The Premier League is the best in the world,” he gushed. “Of course I miss it. I am so happy in the USA, but I am always thinking about returning one day. It is the most competitive league, and of course I would love to come back again.”

For all the public flirting, Pochettino is said to be “fully committed” to the USMNT, per BBC Sport.

Most Expensive Managers in Soccer History

Would Mauricio Pochettino Dump the USMNT Four Months Out From the World Cup?

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