Manchester United close in on Pochettino as Carrick faces sack before Liverpool clash

Manchester United are on the verge of appointing Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager, with Michael Carrick set to be dismissed as the club sits inside the Premier League relegation zone during the international break.

The primary obstacle to completing the deal is an agreement with US Soccer, whose national team Pochettino currently manages. Compensation of an initial $7m (£5.3m) is expected to be a formality due to a release clause in Pochettino’s existing contract, which runs until the 2030 World Cup. Additional compensation will also be required for his coaching staff, including long-time assistant Jesus Perez.

United’s hierarchy is meeting at a summit in Monaco to finalise the decision. The club are pushing to have Pochettino in place before their next Premier League fixture — a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on 22 November. US Soccer are currently planning for Pochettino to take charge of two Concacaf Nations League games during the current international break: an away match against Haiti on 14 November and a home fixture in Cincinnati on 18 November.

Should a deal fail to conclude in time, Darren Fletcher could be handed an interim role once more.

Pochettino’s move to Old Trafford would represent a significant reversal of his stated intentions. The Argentine committed to a four-year project with the United States aimed at building towards the 2030 World Cup, having guided the host nation through a home tournament this summer that ended in a heavy defeat to Belgium in the last 16.

In September, Pochettino acknowledged the weight of that commitment in an interview with The Independent, hinting that his thinking had evolved since taking the role. “We are serious people,” he said. “Now it’s a different thing. When we gave our word to the federation, it was about starting and finishing, after the World Cup. It’s different, maybe, if you ask me now. Because now we commit to four years.”

He added: “Before, it was very easy to say ‘OK, we start now, we prepare the team for the World Cup, we play the World Cup, and then we’ll see.’ [Leaving] before that, it was difficult. Because we committed before. Now it’s another question.”

Pochettino previously managed in the Premier League with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, where he built a reputation as one of Europe’s most progressive coaches before later taking charge of Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.