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In the wake of their torrid run of form which left them languishing in 14th place in the Premier League standings, Tottenham Hotspur opted to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino, ending their five-year association with the Argentine tactician.
Since taking over the reins, Pochettino proceeded to imprint his philosophy and put the North London club on the map once again, as they established themselves as one of the leading clubs in the English top-flight and went toe to toe with some of the biggest sides in world football.
After a series of underwhelming results, both domestically as well as in Europe, Spurs reluctantly decided to part ways with the former Southampton manager and stunned the footballing world with the appointment of Jose Mourinho, who returns to the touchline a year after his sacking at Manchester United.
In his time at the club, Pochettino made a name for himself as one of the most exciting coaches in world football and his eye-catching brand of football gained him plaudits universally. Despite his sacking, he is highly thought of in the managerial circle and it's no secret that he won't be short of suitors.
On that note, let's look at three possible destinations as Pochettino looks to return to the dugout.
3. Manchester United
Pochettino was one of the favourites to land the Manchester United job after Mourinho's sacking last year but in a dramatic turn of events, the Special One has taken over the reins from the Argentine as Tottenham Hotspur opted to make a managerial change in the wake of their torrid run of form.
The 48-year-old is believed to have been under consideration before appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, albeit temporarily and although it looked like the Norwegian would depart at the end of the season in favour of Pochettino, the Red Devils' renaissance since his appointment led to him landing the job permanently.
Since his permanent appointment, United have failed to kick on and find themselves a staggering 18 points behind league leaders Liverpool and their underwhelming start to the season has put Solskjaer's job in a spot of bother.
If the Red Devils decide to part ways with the Norwegian, Pochettino is expected to be on the top of their shortlist as they look covet long-term stability that has eluded them since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure.
2. Real Madrid
The 2018/19 season was tumultuous, to say the least, for Real Madrid. Los Blancos started the season with Julen Lopetegui at the helm but the Spaniard was given the boot midway through the season in favour of Santiago Solari, who was also sacked after a series of underwhelming results.
Before Zinadine Zidane returned for his second stint at the Santiago Bernebeu, Pochettino was reportedly one of the prime targets as Florentino Perez was in the lookout for a manager who could build a long-term project at the club.
Real Madrid have since then steadied the ship under Zidane and although it looks unlikely at this stage, Pochettino could become a viable option for the Spanish giants if the Frenchman's reign goes downhill from here.
1. Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich are currently the frontrunners for Pochettino's signature, after parting company with Niko Kovac after a torrid run of form that saw the Bavarians slip outside the top-four in the Bundesliga.
Assistant manager Hansi Flick has since then taken over the reins on an interim basis and the German has done well to steady the ship, after registering victories against Olympiakos and Borussia Dortmund.
The record German champions reportedly had their eyes on Arsene Wenger, but the legendary Frenchman was recently appointed as the head of global football development at FIFA. Since Pochettino's sacking at Spurs, there have substantial rumours that the Argentinian is the primary candidate to succeed Kovac and it makes sense for all parties involved.
The likes of Erik ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick have also been linked with the job in recent weeks but Bayern will be eager to capitalize on Pochettino's situation, as the 48-year-old proved in his time at Spurs that he's one of the best managers in world football.
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