Mauricio Pochettino was one of three potential candidates to replace Louis van Gaal at Manchester United prior to Jose Mourinho's appointment last May, sources have told ESPN FC.
The Tottenham Hotspur manager goes up against Mourinho and United at Old Trafford on Sunday, having committed his future to the White Hart Lane club by signing a five-year contract at the end of last season.
But while senior figures at United remain confident in Mourinho's ability to transform the team's fortunes and restore the club to the position of dominance it enjoyed under Sir Alex Ferguson, sources involved with the recruitment process towards the end of last season, when it became clear that Van Gaal would not be backed to see out the final year of his three-year contract, have confirmed that Mourinho, Ryan Giggs and Pochettino were all discussed by the Old Trafford hierarchy.
Mourinho's track record managing some of the game's leading clubs, such as Real Madrid and Inter Milan, as well as his Premier League success with Chelsea, had placed the Portuguese as the first-choice candidate with United's owners, the Glazer family, and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
But with Paris Saint-Germain also keen to recruit Mourinho as a replacement for Laurent Blanc -- PSG eventually hired former Sevilla coach Unai Emery -- United considered Giggs, Van Gaal's assistant and the club's record appearance-maker, and Pochettino in order to ensure all options were fully scrutinised in the event of Mourinho rejecting the chance to succeed Van Gaal.
Pochettino's lunch date with Ferguson in London in May, which became public knowledge after the 44-year-old was photographed leaving Scott's restaurant in Mayfair with the former United manager, was unconnected to the club's interest in the Argentine, with sources insisting that no discussions were held between United and Pochettino.
The former Southampton manager's success in promoting young players, both at St Mary's and White Hart Lane, has earned him admirers at United, however, and he is expected to be a strong candidate to take charge at the club in the future if Mourinho does not become a long-term figure at Old Trafford.