Paris Saint-Germain 'agree £8.6m fee for Nice's Christophe Galtier'

Pochettino's tenure in the Parisiens hotseat is expected to come to an end before the start of the 2022-23 season after his side's capitulation in the Champions League against Real Madrid.

The Argentine led the capital giants to the 2021-22 Ligue 1 title with four games to spare last term, while he has also won the Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions in Paris.

However, PSG's quest for European success once again ended in failure, as Real Madrid overturned a 1-0 deficit to progress 3-2 on aggregate in the last-16 of the Champions League.

Pochettino still has 12 months left on his deal with PSG, but the French champions are said to have already decided to part ways with the 50-year-old, who was heavily linked with the Manchester United job before Erik ten Hag's appointment.

Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim had been mentioned as a potential candidate, but Zinedine Zidane's advisor was forced to deny reports claiming that the Frenchman had agreed to take over at the Parc des Princes.

Nice head coach Galtier quickly emerged as PSG's first choice following the arrival of new football advisor Luis Campos, and according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins, a deal is now in place.

Hawkins claims that PSG will pay Nice €10m (£8.6m) to acquire Galtier's services, as the 55-year-old's deal with Les Aiglons is not due to expire until the summer of 2024.

Ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre has supposedly been earmarked as Nice's top candidate to replace Galtier, who - alongside Campos - beat PSG to the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title with Lille before heading for the Allianz Riviera.

Galtier's Nice were challenging for Champions League football for the majority of the most recent season, but an underwhelming end to the campaign saw Les Aiglons settle for fifth and a spot in the Europa Conference League play-off round.

After the Frenchman's relationship with the Aiglons board had allegedly soured, director of football Julien Fournier opened the door for PSG to make a move for his head coach.

"If Paris-Saint-Germain want Christophe Galtier, they mustn't wait too long, otherwise it will be more complicated," Fournier told L'Equipe.

"He's under contract, that's the reality. So he's more likely to be at Nice than not to be. It's very basic but it's very true. After that, if Paris-Saint-Germain comes in for him... it's a decision that I obviously won't take alone.

"When this type of club comes to get one of your players or your coach, it's hard to say 'no'... Each passing day makes PSG's task more difficult, because we have to move forward with next season. If they want him, they must not delay."

Galtier won 24, drew four and lost 12 of his 43 matches in charge of Nice last season, with one of those defeats coming in the final of the Coupe de France against Nantes.

Meanwhile, Pochettino - whose PSG side were knocked out by Galtier's Nice in the 2021-22 Coupe de France - prepares to leave the Ligue 1 holders after posting a record of 56 wins, 13 draws and 15 defeats in 84 games at the helm.