Manchester United reportedly completed background checks on Mauricio Pochettino weeks before removing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from his managerial role at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer was finally sacked as head coach last weekend following the 4-1 defeat at Watford, and Pochettino has been strongly linked with the role on a long-term basis.
The Red Devils will seemingly have to wait until the end of the campaign to appoint the Paris Saint-Germain boss, though, with a deal for Ralf Rangnick to become their interim manager allegedly being agreed.
According to The Athletic, amid the team's struggles under Solskjaer, Man United were working behind the scenes to replace the Norwegian.
The report claims that background checks were completed on Pochettino, who has been tracked by the 20-time English champions for the last five years.
The 49-year-old has a contract with PSG until June 2023 but is believed to be determined to secure a return to the Premier League at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.