Pochettino set to leave USMNT role to take over struggling Manchester United

Manchester United are preparing to dismiss Michael Carrick as head coach, with Mauricio Pochettino identified as the frontrunner to take charge at Old Trafford, according to reports from David Ornstein of The Athletic and TEAMtalk.

Carrick signed a contract extension as recently as May that was due to run until 2028, but an alarming start to the season has left United 18th in the Premier League — having won just one league game all campaign — and 17th in the Champions League phase. The club has conceded two-goal leads in back-to-back fixtures against Roma and Aston Villa, salvaging four points from losing positions but failing to convince the board that a corner has been turned.

Pochettino is currently serving as head coach of the United States men’s national team, having guided the 2026 World Cup hosts to the quarter-finals on home soil over the summer. TEAMtalk report that the 54-year-old Argentine would “jump at the chance” to return to club football with United, though the outlet also notes that “there has been no direct contact between United and Pochettino, or his representatives, at this stage.”

Severing Pochettino’s USMNT contract would come at a cost. The Athletic report a buyout figure of $10 million, a significant outlay for a club already navigating a turbulent financial and sporting period.

Pochettino’s name has been linked with the Old Trafford job for years, dating back to his time at Tottenham Hotspur. His most recent club role came at Chelsea in 2023/24, where he steadied a fractured squad to finish sixth in the Premier League after the club had placed 12th the previous season under a succession of managers.

Free agent Eddie Howe has also been mentioned as a candidate, though Newcastle United retain a compensation clause that would make his appointment an additional expense for whichever club moves for him.

United return to Premier League action after the international break with a trip to Liverpool.