USA target Guardiola as Pochettino edges closer to Manchester United job

US Soccer has placed Pep Guardiola at the top of its managerial shortlist as Mauricio Pochettino moves closer to taking charge at Manchester United, according to The Athletic. The federation has already agreed terms to buy Pochettino out of his contract, and internal discussions about his successor have begun.

Guardiola, who departed Manchester City at the end of last season, has already rejected one return to management — turning down an approach from Italy. Italian Olympic Committee chief Giovanni Malago confirmed the contact, telling La Repubblica: “Pep was honest. He took a sabbatical, partly for family reasons, but if he’d done anything, he would have done it with us.”

The 53-year-old has a pre-existing relationship with US Soccer. The federation contacted both Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp at the start of the search that ultimately ended with Pochettino’s appointment in 2024. Guardiola has also spoken publicly about the appeal of the role, saying: “The USA is fascinating to try to build a project for many years and being able to get the national team to the next step. The potential with the USA is there for the amount of people and sports and so on.” He also spent a year-long sabbatical in New York City after leaving Barcelona in 2012.

Pochettino, meanwhile, is expected to take charge of the United States for two upcoming friendlies against Haiti before completing his move to Old Trafford. The Argentine previously managed Tottenham and Chelsea in the Premier League, and his stock rose considerably during his time in north London — he was linked with the Manchester United job as far back as 2018, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed instead.

Since then, Pochettino claimed the first silverware of his managerial career at PSG before guiding the USA through a home World Cup this summer, where they were eliminated by Belgium in the round of 16.

At United, he is set to succeed Michael Carrick, with the club understood to have already reached an agreement in principle on the appointment.