Praise Isioye
Mauricio Pochettino is prepared to accept an offer from Manchester United to become their new head coach, as Michael Carrick’s future at Old Trafford grows more uncertain.
United has started discussions with the Argentine about the possibility of replacing Carrick, who is likely to be let go within the next 48 hours.
Sources told BBC Sport on Wednesday that Pochettino is eager to lead the Premier League team once Carrick’s situation is sorted out.
The former Tottenham and Chelsea manager wants to keep a good relationship with the United States Soccer Federation and will wait for Manchester United to make a formal approach.
According to reports, United would need to pay $10 million (£7.5 million) to free Pochettino from his contract with the US national team, which he renewed in August.
Timing might be complicated, as the USA has a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Haiti scheduled for next week.
At 54 years old, Pochettino may face a tough choice if United makes an official offer while he is still preparing his team for these international matches.
The Argentine has been considered for the Manchester United manager role three times before: after Jose Mourinho left in 2018, before Erik ten Hag was hired in 2022, and again after the Dutchman was let go in 2024.
In other news, a meeting is set to take place in Monaco on Wednesday to discuss Carrick’s future. This meeting will include United’s chief executive Omar Berrada, director of football Jason Wilcox, and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Reports suggest that Berrada and Wilcox might recommend that Carrick leave due to a poor start to the Premier League season.
So far, United has only won one out of their first ten league matches and currently sits at 18th place, which is inside the relegation zone. This ranking marks the club’s lowest position at this point in the season since 1986-87 when they were last at 20th.
Carrick, who is 45 years old, was seen arriving at the club’s Carrington training ground on Wednesday as talks about his future continued.
Pochettino previously managed Southampton and Tottenham in the Premier League, leading Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019. He later coached Paris Saint-Germain before managing Chelsea during the 2023-24 season.
In September 2024, the Argentine became head coach of the United States team and guided them to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
With Manchester United considering another change in management, Pochettino may finally have a chance to take over at Old Trafford after several past connections with the job.
About the Author
