Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as Tottenham's number one choice to become their new manager.

It is understood that negotiations are taking place with the White Hart Lane club after they identified Pochettino as the man to replace Tim Sherwood.

Pochettino has one year left on his current contract at Saints and has been offered a bumper new deal to stay at St Mary’s.

However, he has stalled on signing it for some time, increasing fears at Saints that he was waiting to see whether he was offered the job at Tottenham.

That now appears highly likely to be the case as Saints brace themselves for the ever increasing chance that the man who led them to eighth place in the Premier League this season will be jumping ship.