Diego Forlan says Manchester United could be 'incredibly tempting' for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino

Former Manchester United star Diego Forlan has claimed that a move to Old Trafford could be "incredibly tempting" for Mauricio Pochettino. Forlan, who left United for Spain in 2004, insists Pochettino is happy at Tottenham Hotspur and enjoying the charm of London, but says a move north is possible should the "biggest club in the world" call him to sort out their current struggles.

The Uruguay international, during his weekly column for The National, says that he forged a strong relationship with the current Spurs boss during their time together in La Liga, with Pochettino playing for Espanyol, where he later became manager, and Forlan leading the attack at Villareal, before a successful spell at Atletico Madrid.

The ex-United star, 36, who is now back in Uruguay playing for Penarol, is not surprised at Pochettino's success in the Premier League with Southampton and Tottenham, nor that his name has been linked to United. And with Louis van Gaal facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford, Forlan refused to rule out the Argentinian moving to his former side.

"I can see why people say he is better staying off at Tottenham, but what if United did come in for him? United may have problems, but it's still Manchester United, the biggest club in the world," Forlan wrote. "If they have problems then that's a challenge to a manager. They want to be the one to fix the problems, to restore greatness. It's incredibly tempting. And Pochettino's doing so well that he may even end up at Real Madrid, back opposite where we used to have coffee.

"He is good where he is at the moment," he added. "He has an excellent squad, a new training ground and he doesn't have to sell anyone. Spurs are building a new stadium holding 60,000. It's an exciting time for the club and we saw with their 3-0 win against United on Sunday (10 April) just how good his team are."

"He is also living in London, a city desirable around the world. His persona is a cool one. He is smart and speaks well, but he is a football man at heart. Like his compatriot and former team-mate Diego Simeone, they are among the best coaches in the world."