Mauricio Pochettino said he cannot ‘promise’ he will still be at Tottenham next season, though the reported Manchester United target intends to see out his contract.

Tottenham manager Pochettino has been linked with Premier League rivals United, as well as La Liga giants Real Madrid.

Pochettino is believed to be the front-runner to replace Jose Mourinho at United in 2019-20 – where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed on a caretaker basis until the end of the season.

The 46-year-old signed a five-year deal in May, and while Pochettino plans to fulfil the contract, he could not guarantee that he will remain at Spurs next term.

‘I can’t promise that,’ Pochettino said when asked if he could promise he would be at the club next season, ahead of Wednesday’s visit of Watford.

‘It depends on the mood of my chairman, on the decision of the company, it’s not only my decision.

‘I signed for five years. I am respecting my contract. But to sign a five-year contract does not mean you’ll be here for ever.’

Pochettino added: ‘I love my job and of course I love a big challenge. When I arrived at Tottenham, I knew very well the challenge would be tough.

‘We are victims of our own success, the club was at a different level. I am a very positive person — I am going to stick with the club until the end to help the club achieve all they want.’

Meanwhile, Pochettino said Spurs cannot buy stars like Liverpool and Manchester City in their ongoing efforts to challenge England and Europe’s elite.

Tottenham did not sign a player before the season started, and they are set to end another transfer window without reinforcements.

Pochettino insisted Tottenham have been forced to take a different approach when it comes players, telling ESPN: ‘In the past couple of years, Liverpool have invested a lot of money.

‘Due to a number of circumstances, we’ve tried to produce young players with great futures such as Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, [Kieran] Trippier or Harry Winks.

‘We are creating players. But in this case, Liverpool need a defender, they get [Virgil] van Dijk. They need a goalkeeper, who’s the best? Alisson. It’s the same as Manchester City.

‘In the end, it’s valid, as Real Madrid and Barcelona do the same because they’re on a different level.

‘At the moment, Tottenham haven’t reached that level, so when we can’t buy a washing machine, we get a dryer that can do the same job. Instead of a sofa, we get a chair where you can also sit. That’s the difference between Tottenham and the teams that are built to win.’