Mauricio Pochettino, watched by Man Utd and Man City amid managerial uncertainty

Mauricio Pochettino is Manchester’s most wanted man.

United are eyeing the former Tottenham manager after a lousy start to the season in which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lost two of his first three games on either side of a serendipitous win at Brighton.

But Old Trafford bosses are also aware that Pochettino is also seen across town in rival City as a candidate to replace Pep Guardiola at the Etihad next summer, and the Catalan shows no signs of signing an extension. of a contract that expires in seven months.

Pochettino, 48, has been out of soccer for nearly a year after leaving White Hart Lane last November.

He made it clear in the summer that he wants to return to the Premier League after recharging batteries.

And both Manchester clubs would offer you the kind of great opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

United’s poor start to the campaign has brought successive defeats at home to Crystal Palace and Tottenham.

And the 6-1 at the hands of José Mourinho’s Spurs last weekend has already increased the pressure on Solakjaer.

A chaotic transfer window in which Executive Vice President Ed Woodward failed to achieve any of his manager’s top goals has deepened the sense of crisis at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer will be given time to change the results after returning to the Champions League.

And there is an acceptance at the club that the lack of pre-season preparation following United’s advance to the Europa League semi-finals in August has left the team ill-prepared.

But Paul Pogba’s plea to Real Madrid during the international break has also reinforced the belief within the club that a stronger managerial presence is required.

And United are also aware that Pochettino will not be on the market forever.

The Argentine also has his fans at City, and Guardiola’s future remains a regular topic of conversation among players.

He insisted at the start of the season that he is open to extending his stay in Manchester beyond this fifth year.

But Guardiola’s body language has been severe as City have also had a rocky start to the season, losing five points in their first three games.

This is the longest period Spaniard has spent in any club.

Guardiola waited up to a month before his contract with Barcelona ended before announcing that he was leaving to take a sabbatical in 2012.

And at Bayern Munich he left his decision to reject the German club’s offer of a new contract until the Bundesliga winter break in December 2015.

Guardiola’s wife, Cristina, has spent most of the last year in Barcelona to take care of her fashion business.

Since then, the optimism of City’s opening win over Wolves has been tempered by a 5-2 home loss to Leicester and a draw at newly promoted Leeds.

After winning consecutive titles in spectacular fashion, the Blues finished 18 points behind Liverpool last season.

And Lyon’s 3-1 defeat in the Champions League quarter-final at the hands of Lyon was blamed on their coach.

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City were expected to make a declaration of intent in the transfer market after being acquitted of FFP infringements in an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

But despite spending £ 120 million to recruit Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Ferran Torres, there are still glaring weaknesses in his squad.

Sergio Agüero’s latest injury absence has shown once again how much City trust a now 32-year-old forward.

And Guardiola also has problems to tackle on the left side and in the central midfield.

Like his Old Trafford counterpart, the City manager has not been helped by his team’s involvement in Europe over the summer.

But with the city needing clarity, the future remains shrouded in doubt.