Mauricio Pochettino has congratulated Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on his appointment as full-time Manchester United manager.
Tottenham coach Pochettino was the early frontrunner to replace Jose Mourinho back in December and was viewed as a possible future Real Madrid coach. However, Real reappointed Zinedine Zidane earlier this month and United upgraded Solskjaer from caretaker to permanent manager on Thursday.
Pochettino signed a four-year contract with Spurs last year and would have likely cost £40million to prise away from the Premier League's third-placed club, whereas United paid Molde a goodwill gesture of £500,000 for the services of Solskjaer this month.
The MEN understands United previously gifted Molde a £500,000 payment solely for the caretaker services of Solskjaer back in December.
It is understood Pochettino wanted the United job but the Argentine is destined to stay at Tottenham next season, having joined the club from Southampton in 2014.
"I never talked about rumours," Pochettino said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Tottenham's Sunday trip to Liverpool. "I need to congratulate him and wish him all the best, now he is officially the new manager of Manchester United.
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"I am not going to talk about rumours and in this period there is going to be more rumours, but there is nothing I can do about it. If it is not this, speculation is going to come around from another club.
"We are so focused on our job."
It is believed United's 1-0 win over Tottenham at Wembley in January was regarded as a significant coup by the club hierarchy, who soon abandoned plans to conduct a process to identify a new manager amid United's upturn in form under Solskjaer.
Although Spurs were ejected from both domestic cup competitions in January, they have reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup for only the third time in their history. Manchester City await in their Champions League last eight tie.
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