What Mauricio Pochettino’s contract extension really means to Tottenham

Tottenham supporters can rest easier knowing Mauricio Pochettino has signed a five-year contract extension, pledging his allegiance to the club through 2023. 

Receiving such a long-term commitment from Pochettino is arguably the best, and most important, news coming out of North London since Tottenham won their last league title in 1960-61.

He is as important to Tottenham as Pep Guardiola is to Manchester City, if not more so. He is the oil of Spurs’ engine.

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No player or manager transcends a club, and no single person is more important than the collective. Having said that, Pochettino is arguably the single most influential employee of any club worldwide.

While Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho and Zinedine Zidane might contest that statement, there is no disputing the impact Pochettino’s had on the club since arriving four years ago. Daniel Levy yesterday rewarded the gaffer by making him the Premier League’s fourth highest paid manager, behind only Guardiola, Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

Pochettino’s contract extension is worth £42.5 million over five years, and he’s worth every penny.

What signing Pochettino means for Tottenham

What it actually means to for the club to lock one of the world’s most sought after managers into a long-term contract is immeasurably more important than the wad of cash Levy has committed to Pochettino.

https://twitter.com/SpursOfficial/status/999684335669260289

It’s a watershed moment for Tottenham, as it means Levy and Pochettino have come to an agreement about how the club will be ran. Poised to start the 2018-19 season at the new state of the art stadium, Pochettino made it clear that he requires £150 million to acquire world-class targets in the club’s search for silverware.

The gaffer would have also discussed with Levy the need to loosen the chairman’s tight and stringent wage structure.

By signing the contract extension, Pochettino is clearly satisfied with Levy’s roadmap. The gaffer’s signature will almost certainly create a snowball effect at the club, leading to Tottenham’s top assets following suit by signing similar contract extensions. Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Jan Vertonghen and Dele Alli, The Evening Standard reports, are all expected to sign on the dotted line before next season kicks off.

Had Pochettino departed, I shudder to think what would have happened to Tottenham’s core. Thankfully that’s a moot point now.

In addition, Spurs, with Pochettino at the helm, are a more desirable destination for transfer targets, both for established superstars and inexperienced prodigies. The gaffer is highly respected by peers and players alike, offering Tottenham a distinct advantage when approaching targets.

A beacon of strength and stability, Pochettino offers poise, calmness and a tacit self-assuredness. He exudes confidence and is a winner in waiting. He demands respect and a tireless work ethic from his players while offering nobody, regardless of stature, an easy ride.

It took Sir Alex Ferguson almost five years to win his first trophy as Manchester United’s guardian. After winning the 1990 FA Cup, he went on to win 13 Premier League titles, a record that will likely never fall.

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In August Pochettino enters his fifth season in charge of Spurs, and with Levy’s support and financial assurances, there is every reason to believe the Argentinian, by winning his first piece of silverware for Tottenham, will accomplishing a similar feat.