Man United face £7.4m buyout to prise Pochettino from USMNT as Carrick sacking looms

Manchester United are set to dismiss Michael Carrick as head coach, with sporting director Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada due to meet INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe during the international break to finalise a successor. United sit 18th in the Premier League with eight points from ten matches.

Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as one of the leading candidates on United’s shortlist, alongside Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte. While Howe, Nagelsmann and Conte are all currently without clubs, Pochettino’s situation is considerably more complicated — he is the head coach of the United States national team, having signed a new contract through 2030 following this summer’s Copa América.

However, that contract does contain a buyout clause. According to The Athletic, the release figure stands at approximately $10 million (£7.4m), though the total cost would rise significantly given that Pochettino’s coaching staff would also need to be compensated. The expense comes at an awkward moment for United, who must also pay off Carrick just 172 days after handing him a two-year deal.

Pochettino is understood to be open to discussions with United, despite currently preparing the USA for their Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Haiti. The 54-year-old has previously courted a return to the Premier League, having managed Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea, but struck a notably committed tone when he signed his latest deal in August.

“Every time we sign a contract, it’s to go to the last day of the contract,” Pochettino said at the time. “If we sign a four-year contract, we need to think to arrive there. We really signed that contract because we really believe that we can arrive to the end.”

United have considered Pochettino for the Old Trafford role on multiple previous occasions, and it was reportedly at his own insistence that an exit clause was included in his USMNT deal — a detail that now keeps the door open, at a price.