Pochettino set for Man United arrival next week as Glazer greenlights Carrick exit

Manchester United have reached a verbal agreement in principle with Mauricio Pochettino to become their new head coach, with the 54-year-old unlikely to arrive in Greater Manchester before Thursday, 19 November. Avram Glazer has approved the process, though no formal deal will be completed until Michael Carrick is dismissed.

Carrick’s position has become untenable after a dismal start to the Premier League season. United sit 18th in the table with just one win from their opening ten matches, prompting director of football Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada to present a formal case for change to Sir Jim Ratcliffe at an Ineos seminar in Monaco on Wednesday. Ratcliffe is expected to meet with the board on Thursday, at which point Carrick is anticipated to be relieved of his duties.

Securing Pochettino will not come cheaply. United must pay a £7.4 million release clause to free the Argentine from his contract with the United States men’s national team, which runs until 2030. On top of that, terminating Carrick’s deal early is expected to cost the club approximately £3 million via a break clause in his two-year agreement.

Pochettino will continue his work with the USMNT regardless of how quickly a deal is finalised. He is currently preparing the squad for a CONCACAF Nations League double-header against Haiti — the first leg in Miami on Saturday, 14 November, followed by the return fixture in Cincinnati on Wednesday, 18 November. The former Tottenham and Chelsea manager took training at the US Soccer National Training Center in Georgia on Wednesday, underlining his commitment to seeing the quarter-final tie through before making any move.

United’s hierarchy, including Ratcliffe, is understood to retain confidence in Wilcox and Berrada despite widespread criticism of the club’s off-field management this season. The pair are expected to remain in post as the club transitions to a new coaching era under Pochettino.