'It’s impossible' - Mauricio Pochettino has ruled himself out of two top jobs amid Man Utd links

The chances of Mauricio Pochettino taking the helm at either Barcelona or Arsenal are non-existent, according to the former Chelsea manager.

The Argentine made a surprising exit from his position at Stamford Bridge by mutual agreement on Tuesday (May 21), after just a single year in charge, during which he led the Blues to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, securing a return to European football next season.

Rumours have been swirling this week about Pochettino potentially replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United as the 52-year-old seeks his next footballing challenge. However, according to the man himself, two specific clubs are off the table, reports the Mirror.

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Having spent nine years playing for Spanish second-tier team Espanyol across two separate stints, the ex-defender has an unshakeable loyalty to the club, a badge he wore with pride when rumours linked him to the Barcelona job back in 2017.

Given the intense rivalry between the two clubs, Pochettino - who was managing Tottenham Hotspur at the time - categorically ruled out any possibility of becoming the Barcelona boss due to his affection for their city rivals. He also dismissed any chance of taking the Arsenal job because of his ties with their north London adversaries.

"But I am an Espanyol supporter," he told The Guardian when asked about the likelihood of succeeding Luis Enrique in 2017. "I don't think I need to speak too much. It's like if one day [the Tottenham chairman] Daniel Levy sacked me in a few years it would be impossible for me to manage Arsenal.

"In football I know it is so difficult to keep your values and to be loyal with your heart and emotion. But for me before being a manager, before being a player, being loyal is more important. I am an Espanyol fan. I love Espanyol. It's like Tottenham for me now. It will be impossible, one day, to move to Arsenal. It will be impossible," he said at the time.