Poch was in town, and it wasn't for Bruce Springsteen.
Images of Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino having a chuckle with Pat Dolan while watching Ireland vs Holland on Friday night quickly began to circulate after kickoff in the Aviva Stadium. So what was the Argentine up to?
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is here in deep discussion with Pat Dolan pic.twitter.com/SoFXurpDOr
— Glenn Mason (@glennjmason) May 27, 2016
No Spurs players were on show, and surely he's sick of the sight of them at this stage anyway, and unless he's already having withdrawals from the game and doesn't fancy a holiday, he was surely having a look at a player. Shane Long is a name that has been linked with moves regularly despite finally finding a prominent role under Ronald Koeman, and it was clear that he was the focus of attention in this case.
Dolan = Shane Long's advisor/representative etc in case anyone doesn't know https://t.co/tOXoOfmIqf
— Daniel McDonnell (@McDonnellDan) May 27, 2016
So does this mean Shane Long is signing for Spurs? No.
This means that there is likely strong interest, but lets look at the potential deal in terms of how it could happen and what it would mean.
Southampton are extremely high on Shane Long, with fans even voting him player of the season, so it will take a lot of cash to convince them to part with someone they themselves were accused of possibly overpaying for when they shelled out £12m to bring the Tipp man from Hull.
While there will be money to spend, and the last time Spurs bought a Southampton player it was a roaring success (Toby Alderweireld came from Atletico after a season on loan at Southampton), a large fee could cool their interest.
Should a deal go ahead, then there is no chance that Shane Long starts ahead of Harry Kane in Pochettino's current system. While Champions League football would mean that he gets his fair share of chances, would Long be willing to give up what he has at Southampton at this stage in his career?
Then again, that Champions League music playing in the background could be enough to tempt him, and he would become the first Irishman to play in the Champions League since Cillian Sheridan.
It's all very up in the air, but if last night was a live audition for Shane Long, then he passed with flying colours.
