Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has rebuffed the advances of the reigning Portuguese top flight champions Benfica, which has only increased talk of him taking up the reins at St James' Park.
Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham in November after more than five years at the helm, and only six months after guiding the club to the Champions League final.
The Argentine manager was unable to end Spurs' wait for silverware, but he steered them to Champions League qualification in four consecutive seasons - the best run in the club's Premier League history.
Following his departure from Spurs, Pochettino has reportedly garnered interest from a number of Europe's top sides. Benfica approached the 48-year-old at the end of June but the Portuguese publication Record have revealed that Pochettino has rejected their offer.
The former Arsenal manager Unai Emery - who met his one-time north London rival for a coffee shortly after they both lost their jobs - is thought to be next in line for the vacant position.
Record suggests that Pochettino is holding out for the managerial role at Real Madrid to become available, although this seems unlikely in the short term, with Zinedine Zidane guiding Los Blancos to within a few games of regaining the Spanish title.
Pochettino has revealed he is ready to return to management, and admitted that it would be a 'dream' to return to Spurs one day. Yet with his replacement José Mourinho locked into a lucrative contract lasting until summer 2023, Pochettino's short-term future almost certainly lies elsewhere.
In light of their proposed £300m takeover, still yet to be completed, Newcastle have been consistently linked with some of the continent's most exciting playing and managerial talent. Despite the fact that current boss Steve Bruce has overseen the side reach the relative success of mid-table, Pochettino was one of four names on a shortlist drawn up by the prospective owners.
Source: 90min
