Former Tottenham Hotspur technical secretary Ramon Planes recently enjoyed a leisurely lunch with Mauricio Pochettino, sparking rumours of a potential return to the north London club for both of them. Planes previously worked with Pochettino during his first season at Tottenham, which saw the arrival of players such as Ben Davies, Eric Dier, and Dele Alli.
Pochettino spent five-and-a-half years at Spurs, leading them to their first Champions League final in 2019. He has been linked with the vacant post at Tottenham following Antonio Conte’s exit last month. His last managerial role was an 18-month spell at Paris Saint-Germain, which came to a mutual end last June.
Planes, who recently left his post as Getafe manager, is also plotting his next move, with reports suggesting his two options are a move to Real Betis or a return to Spurs alongside Pochettino. The pair recently dined in the Spanish city of Tarragona, as shared on Pochettino’s Instagram account on Wednesday.
While it is unlikely that their social gathering will directly lead to a return to Spurs for both, it is good to see old work colleagues on good terms. If it does happen, Planes would replace the role recently vacated by Fabio Paratici. However, talkSPORT understands that Pochettino is admired by people at Chelsea and is in contention to replace Graham Potter at the end of the season.
For now, Spurs face an uncertain end to the season under the guidance of Cristian Stellini with Ryan Mason as his assistant. The club faces a battle on their hands to qualify for the Champions League, with five clubs battling it out for the two remaining top-four places. Spurs sit fifth in the table on 50 points after Manchester United beat Brentford 1-0 on Wednesday night to dump Tottenham out of the top four, and they face high-flying Brighton next.