Manchester United Finalising Pochettino Deal If Carrick Goes, Reports Say

Updated 11:02 UTC, Nov 11

Manchester United are finalising a deal to appoint Mauricio Pochettino if the club makes the final decision to relieve Michael Carrick of his duties, The Athletic reported on Wednesday morning. David Ornstein reported that Pochettino, 54, is lined up and that terms are being done with his camp. United spent Tuesday ironing out personal terms with Pochettino's representatives, and no issues are anticipated, The Athletic said.

United have not contacted U.S. Soccer yet, The Athletic reported. Pochettino's exit clause is worth around 10 million dollars (7.4 million pounds), and further compensation would be needed for his coaching staff, who would join him if the plan proceeds. Reporter Ben Jacobs said on Wednesday that a change is the recommendation of chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, and that Pochettino wants the job. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was set to meet Berrada and Wilcox in Monaco on Wednesday, and The Standard reported that a decision is not expected before Thursday.

Nothing has changed officially. Carrick has not been sacked, United have announced nothing, and Pochettino has not been appointed. This remains reported interest at an advanced stage, not a done deal.

Manchester United intend to sack head coach Michael Carrick, and United States men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino is a leading candidate to replace him, according to reports published on Monday. The Athletic reported that work is already under way on potential replacements and that a change is expected before United travel to Liverpool on November 22. United continue to say that no decision has been reached, and any final call needs approval from co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the club's majority owners, the Glazer family. Nothing has been announced by the club, and Pochettino has not been appointed. This is a reported plan, not a done deal.

A season that slid into the relegation zone

Carrick's position weakened fast. United drew 4-4 with Aston Villa on Sunday in a wild game at Old Trafford, and the point left the club inside the Premier League relegation zone at the November international break. A club of United's size in the drop zone in November forces a board to act, and Monday brought a wave of reporting that the board is doing exactly that.

Carrick's contract contains a one-year break clause, reporter Ben Jacobs wrote on X, which would make an exit cheaper than the payoffs United have handed previous managers. Director of football Jason Wilcox is leading the process on Carrick's future with chief executive Omar Berrada, before a recommendation goes to Ratcliffe.

Pochettino is reported to be open to the job

Pochettino, 54, took charge of the United States in 2024 and signed a new deal in August that runs through the 2030 World Cup, after the US reached the round of 16 at this summer's World Cup. The Sun reported that he would entertain the prospect of taking charge at United, and the BBC reported, through sources, that he would be open to the job. His main home is still in London, and he has never hidden a wish to return to the Premier League one day.

His contract is reported to include a release clause of about 10 million dollars, and reporters who cover United believe that fee would not stop the club if it chooses him. Pochettino has interviewed for the United job before, three times by ESPN's count, and United looked at him in 2022 before appointing Erik ten Hag. He last worked in the Premier League at Chelsea in the 2023-24 season, after five years at Tottenham Hotspur and a spell at Paris Saint-Germain.

Other names, and one big obstacle

Pochettino is not the only name in the frame. Former Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann, most recently in charge of Germany, also have admirers at the club, The Athletic reported, and other reports have added Sebastian Hoeness and Antonio Conte. The timing is hard. The United States plays Haiti in a two-leg Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal this month, and Pochettino is unlikely to walk out before those games end. The second leg falls days before the Liverpool match, so even a quick decision may not put a new man in the dugout at Anfield. For now, Carrick remains in post, and the next move belongs to Ratcliffe and the Glazers.