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A newly published book has claimed that Mauricio Pochettino held "serious conversations" about taking charge of Arsenal just weeks after being dismissed by their fiercest north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 2019.
The deep-rooted animosity between the two north London clubs is well-documented, something Pochettino would have understood intimately after five years at Tottenham. The passionate Argentine built a strong bond with the fanbase, guiding a youthful Spurs side to three successive top-three Premier League finishes while also steering the club to the 2019 Champions League final.
However, the consequences of signing just a single senior outfield player over two transfer windows eventually caught up with Pochettino, who was unceremoniously let go during the November international break. "Big thanks to you all!" the outgoing manager scrawled on a tactics board in the dressing room. "We can't to say (sic) goodbye... you will always be in our hearts."
Yet within days, Pochettino was reportedly in talks with Arsenal's leadership about filling the vacancy left by the departing Unai Emery, as revealed by The Telegraph's Sam Dean in his new book, Arsenal: The Inside Story of Arsenal's Rebirth Under Mikel Arteta.
Pochettino is portrayed as a "strong candidate" who "showed willingness to engage" with a club he had spent the better part of five years being paid to treat as the enemy. While a move from N17 to N5 might appear to be a step up in hindsight, Spurs were very much the dominant force at the time. In each of Pochettino's final three seasons at the club, Tottenham finished above their despised neighbors.
What Would Crossing North London Divide Have Meant for Pochettino?
Only two managers have ever taken the helm at both Arsenal and Tottenham. Terry Neill was always an awkward fit at Spurs given that he had spent the entirety of the 1960s serving the Gunners with distinction. Neill was never truly embraced by supporters in N5—his standing further damaged by continuing to manage Northern Ireland while the club narrowly escaped relegation—and he sealed his reputation as a traitor by departing for Arsenal when they came calling in 1976.
George Graham had not only represented Arsenal as a player, but had also presided over the club's most triumphant era in half a century as manager from 1986 to 1995. Graham at least had the courtesy to wait over three years before surprisingly accepting the challenge of winning over Spurs supporters. The 1999 League Cup triumph helped ease the fury that greeted him with loud jeers on his debut at the club, yet he is not remembered warmly in N17. Despite his achievements both as a player and manager, Graham's legacy at Arsenal has also been somewhat overshadowed.
Pochettino would have undoubtedly squandered the considerable goodwill he still enjoys among many Spurs supporters had he made the audacious leap directly from Tottenham to Arsenal. There was already significant discontent when the Argentine joined Chelsea in 2023, though the fact that his stint in west London lasted just one trophy-less season has helped him gradually rebuild his standing with those at Spurs.
How Pochettino Ended Up at USMNT
Pochettino is a self-proclaimed football romantic, yet his appointment as USMNT head coach is grounded in the cold realities of the business: finances. Having brought the management of commercial assets in-house, the U.S. Soccer Federation gained the financial muscle to offer their new candidate a salary on par with the top names on the international stage.
When the USMNT first began searching for a new manager in 2024, there was no flood of applications. ESPN reported that it was only once the potential salary became known that genuine interest emerged, with Pochettino among those considered alongside the likes of Zinédine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Xavi Hernández.
A key factor working in everyone's favor was Pochettino's existing relationship with Matt Crocker, the USSF's sporting director during negotiations. The two had previously worked together at Southampton, and following exhausting stints at high-pressure superclubs Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, Pochettino was receptive to the idea of leading a co-host nation into the 2026 World Cup.
After an uncertain beginning to his tenure, Pochettino won over many supporters on the grand home stage. The admiration appears to be reciprocated, as the Argentine pledged his commitment to the program through the 2030 World Cup earlier this year. It remains to be seen whether any of that would have come to pass had he made the controversial choice to join Arsenal all those years ago.