United face £7.4m compensation bill to prise Pochettino and four staff from USA role

Manchester United face a compensation bill of approximately £7.4m ($10m) to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as manager, with the club working behind the scenes to finalise a deal even as incumbent Michael Carrick reported for training at Carrington on Wednesday morning. United’s board is expected to make a final recommendation on Carrick’s future at a meeting in Monaco.

Beyond the fee to release Pochettino himself from his USA contract, United will also need to pay additional compensation for four members of his coaching staff who joined the national team setup when Pochettino took the job in September 2024.

Assistant coaches Jesus Perez and Miguel D’Agostino, along with goalkeeper coach Antonio Jimenez, have followed Pochettino throughout his managerial career dating back to his first role at Espanyol in 2009. His son, sports scientist Sebastiano Pochettino, joined the setup during his father’s time at Tottenham and would take responsibility for fitness at United.

The USA reached the Round of 16 at the World Cup over the summer before being knocked out by Belgium, bringing Pochettino’s tenure to a close.

Should the appointment go ahead, Carrick’s backroom staff face an uncertain future. Assistant manager Steve Holland and first-team coach Jonathan Woodgate are expected to leave alongside Carrick. However, first-team coaches Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion, as well as goalkeeper coach Craig Mawson, have deeper roots at the club that could see them retained.

Evans worked as United’s loans manager after retiring as a player before returning to a coaching role, while Binnion previously managed the club’s U21 side in the academy. Mawson has been kept on by every manager since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appointed him in 2019.

Carrick did not bring a dedicated fitness coach to Old Trafford, a gap that Sebastiano Pochettino would fill if his father takes charge, leaving Perez, D’Agostino, and Jimenez to lead the broader coaching operation.