Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has declared his ambitions to manage in Italy.

The Argentine was not fuelling any speculation that he wanted to leave Spurs. However, he did state his intention to manage in Serie A and the Argentina national team.

Pochettino said: "My contract expires in four-and-a-half years — if [Spurs chairman Daniel] Levy does not fire me first!

"Seriously, today I see myself here. I dream of winning a trophy with Tottenham, maybe the Premier League in our new stadium.

"In the future to also manage the Argentine team is my desire.

"The important thing is to be happy and I am right now. Me in Serie A? I have Italian origins and it would be a wonderful experience."

He also added that Sampdoria showed an interest in his services while he was in charge of Espanyol.

He said: "When Burdisso asked me, I told him I'd never really thought about it, but every time I go to Italy, I feel at home there.

"Argentines and Italians are very similar, for the way we live life and for our passion for football. Clearly [to work in Italy] I would need to have a better grasp of Italian, as language is fundamental to communicate with players.

"I remember that my grandfather would speak to me quite often in Italian but I was quite young. I'd need to do a bit of practice before moving to Italy!

"Years ago there were contacts with Sampdoria. I was at Espanyol, they showed an interest but then nothing happened."