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Man Utd and Real Madrid both have Pochettino as their managerial target (Mirror)

  /  Gambino

Tottenham are bracing themselves for a major fight to keep Mauricio Pochettino in the summer.

Manchester United and Real Madrid both have him at the top of the list to be their next manager.

And there is a growing fear at Spurs that this summer will be crunch time for their boss as Europe’s top clubs eye him up.

Pochettino has made it clear he wants to lead Tottenham into their new £1billion stadium next year, but it has not dampened the interest in him from both Old Trafford and the Bernabeu.

Jose Mourinho is under mounting pressure at United and could go at the end of the season if they miss out on a top-four finish and the money-spinning Champions League spot that comes with it.

European champions Madrid are also keen on the Spanish-speaking Argentinian, who both played and managed in La Liga with Espanyol.

They promoted Santiago Solari from within when they sacked controversial summer arrival Julen Lopetegui after just four months in charge, but there is a feeling he is just keeping the hot-seat warm until they can make a long-term appointment.

The lure of the Bernabeu could be hard to turn down, and even though Pochettino signed a new five-year deal worth £8m last summer that includes no buy-out clause, Spurs know their manager is in demand.

Pochettino will be in the spotlight over the next few months, and the way he guided Tottenham into the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday by masterminding an impressive result and performance away to Barcelona will only strengthen his stock in Spain.