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Juventus to sound out Mauricio Pochettino as new manager - if first choice Pep Guardiola stays with Man City

Mauricio Pochettino as Tottenham manager - AFP
Mauricio Pochettino as Tottenham manager - AFP

Mauricio Pochettino could be offered a return to management by Juventus once the Italian club have first made a check on Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City manager Guardiola would be the first choice of Juventus to succeed Maurizio Sarri, who was sacked on Saturday following the Champions League elimination to Lyon.

Juve are expected to explore whether they have any chance of tempting Guardiola away from England, but City will be confident of holding on to the Spaniard following their Champions League reprieve.

Guardiola has suggested he will at least see out his City contract that expires in 2021 and on Friday night guided his team to the quarter-finals of the Champions League by knocking out Real Madrid.

City are also providing him with the funds to try to wrestle the Premier League title back from Liverpool next season, with the club already signing Ferran Torres and Nathan Ake.

Pep Guardiola celebrates Manchester City's win over Real madrid - GETTY IMAGES
Pep Guardiola celebrates Manchester City's win over Real madrid - GETTY IMAGES

Should, as expected, Guardiola confirm he is happy at City, then former Tottenham Hotspur manager Pochettio will be one of the leading candidates to take the Juve job along with Filippo Inzaghi and Max Allegri.

Pochettino has made it clear he is ready to return to work and this week insisted he is open to restarting in Serie A or La Liga, despite previously claiming that he wanted to stay in the Premier League.

The 48 year-old has previously expressed an affection for Juve, having been named an honorary citizen of the Italian town of Virle Piemonte in Turin.

Pochettino's great, great grandfather Michele was born in the town in 1864 and deputy mayor, Daniele Pochettino, is another distant relative of the Argentine.

Former Chelsea head coach Sarri was sacked at the end of his first season in charge of Juve, despite winning the Serie A title.

The elimination on away goals to Lyon in the last 16 of the Champions League proved to be his final act, as Juve released a statement confirming his departure less than 24 hours later.

The club statement read: “The club would like to thank the coach for having written a new page in Juventus’ history with the victory of the ninth-consecutive championship, the culmination of a personal journey that led him to climb all the divisions of Italian football.”