Pochettino emerges as leading candidate to replace Carrick at relegation-threatened United

Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as a leading candidate to become Manchester United’s next manager, with the Old Trafford hierarchy increasingly convinced that a coaching change is necessary after a historic winless streak left the club inside the Premier League relegation zone.

United’s football leadership group — Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada — are understood to believe the time is right to act following a chaotic 4-4 home draw against Aston Villa, though a final decision rests with owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family. Moves were reportedly afoot on Monday to explore bringing Pochettino in.

The 54-year-old Argentine has been in charge of the United States national team since 2024 and recently extended his contract through to the 2030 World Cup. That deal, however, contains a release clause. As recently as September, Pochettino acknowledged publicly that departing before his contract expired remained a possibility.

United’s interest in Pochettino is long-standing. He came close to the job on at least three separate occasions — in 2018, 2020, and 2021 — during Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s tenure at the club.

Other names under consideration include Eddie Howe, Sebastian Hoeness, Antonio Conte, and Julian Nagelsmann. Reservations over each of those candidates are said to have contributed to United’s prolonged indecision over Carrick’s future.

Despite the growing pressure to act, there remains debate at the highest levels of the club over the best course of action. Concrete developments may still be several days away — if they materialise at all.