Mauricio Pochettino claims he would 'have to listen' if approached by Real Madrid to replace Zinedine Zidane

Mauricio Pochettino has said he would “have to listen” if he was contacted by Real Madrid after the European champions made the Tottenham Hotspur manager their preferred candidate to replace Zinedine Zidane.

Pochettino, who is in Barcelona at the launch of the Spanish version of his book, also appeared to open the door to a move by saying that he has to “let football take me wherever” and that “what has to be, will be”.

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The Argentine has been installed as the early favourite to replace Zidane, who resigned just five days after winning a third consecutive Champions League title.

Pochettino last week signed a new five-year contract at Tottenham worth up to £42.5 million. Despite suggestions there may have been a clause included in the deal which would allow him to move to Madrid, he has confirmed there is no such agreement, verbal or written.

“When Real Madrid call you, you have to listen to them,” Pochettino told Spanish newspaper El Confidencial. “Although in this case it does not depend on me. I have just signed a long contract with Tottenham and I am very happy here.”

The 46 year-old did not, however, dismiss the suggestion of a move to Madrid. Asked directly about the possibility of managing the European champions, Pochettino told AS: “I live in the present, there is nothing more important than that. I enjoy what is happening and what has to be, will be.

“Jorge Griffa [Pochettino’s former coach] told me once that I have to let football take me wherever, to not get bogged down in trying to change my own destiny.”

Pochettino, who managed Espanyol in Spain before moving to the Premier League with Southampton, was repeatedly linked with a move to Real Madrid last season.

He signed his new contract at Tottenham after receiving assurances from chairman Daniel Levy about his future transfer budget and the plans to keep hold of the club’s star players. Pochettino had ended the Premier League campaign by calling on Tottenham to be “brave” and “take risks” ahead of the move to their new stadium next season.

“I am happy at Tottenham because they let me work and we are growing together,” Pochettino told El Confidencial. “Right now I want to focus on planning for next season and keep out of all the things that are being said. There will be lots of rumours, lots of things said, but I have no news from Real Madrid.

“I am working very comfortably at Tottenham and it is my obligation to focus on that. I do not want, nor can I, comment on Zidane going but what he has done is undoubtedly very big: no one has won three Champions Leagues in a row recently.”

Pochettino’s decision to sign a new deal in north London has strengthened Tottenham’s hand if Real Madrid do make an approach. If they cannot keep hold of the manager, the club would be able to demand a hefty sum in compensation fees were Pochettino to join the Spanish giants.

Elsewhere, Germany manager Joachim Low, another who has been linked with the vacant managerial post, has “totally” ruled himself out of a move to Madrid.

“I rule this out totally,” Low said. “Madrid will find a suitable replacement but yes, the Zidane resignation did take me by surprise.”