Daniel Levy asks sacked Pochettino to take PAY CUT

TOTTENHAM have approached former boss Mauricio Pochettino about a potential pay cut to his gardening leave salary amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Argentine manager is still being paid his £8.5million annual wages as part of the severance package agreed with Spurs chief Daniel Levy when he was sacked back in November.

Spurs have begun talks with Pochettino, 48, and are hoping he will agree to a new pay deal and help ease the financial strain on the club.

Levy agreed to keep paying Poch until he found a new job and with Covid-19 bringing world football to a shuddering halt that does not seem to be on the horizon for a man who would usually be heavily in-demand.

The measures will also be extended to the club’s former backroom staff as the North London side look to cut costs wherever possible.

Coaches Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino and Antoni Jimenez will be asked to strike new deals with Spurs having also been shown the door.

Despite leading Tottenham to last season’s Champions League final, Poch was dismissed after four-and-a-half years and replaced by Jose Mourinho.

Spurs are also in talks with Mourinho and his playing squad about a 10 per cent drop in wages as the club looks to offset some of the inevitable losses caused by the virus.

Tottenham are desperate to save money after a supporter backlash forced them into an embarrassing U-turn on their decision to place 550 non-playing staff on the government’s furlough scheme for April and May.

Levy has personally taken a lot of flack for the original decision, with former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp accusing him of trying to do things on the cheap.

Mourinho was last seen wishing England ace Dele Alli a happy birthday from a safe distance after the two coincidentally almost crossed paths on a walk during lockdown.