Manchester United are working on a potential deal to appoint United States men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino as a replacement for Michael Carrick, who is facing mounting pressure after a dismal start to the season, a source with knowledge of the situation said on Wednesday.
United sit in 18th place in the Premier League table after 10 rounds, marking the club’s worst start to a season in the modern era.
Pochettino has emerged as a key candidate to succeed Carrick, despite the 54-year-old Argentine remaining under contract with the US team through to the 2030 World Cup.
A source familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that preparations to appoint Pochettino had been carried out as a matter of “due diligence.” The source spoke on condition of anonymity as no final decision has been made regarding Carrick’s future.
Julian Nagelsmann, Eddie Howe, and Antonio Conte have also been muted as alternative options in recent weeks.
It is common practice for clubs to evaluate potential candidates and make contact via intermediaries before deciding to part company with a manager.
Pochettino, who previously managed Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea in the Premier League, took charge of the US national team in October 2024 and guided them to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup.
He was previously a primary contender for the Old Trafford hotseat in 2022 before Erik ten Hag was ultimately appointed.
Pochettino lifted the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain in 2022, though his most impressive managerial spell came at Tottenham, where he established the North London club as regular title contenders and led them to the Champions League final in 2019.
He is yet to win major silverware in English football, most recently suffering defeat in the 2024 League Cup final during his spell at Chelsea.
Carrick, who insisted on Sunday that he would not resign, was set to take training on Wednesday amidst escalating speculation surrounding his role. United’s board opted against sacking him last month in a bid to give him time to turn around their wretched run, but Sunday’s 4-4 draw against Aston Villa left the 20-time English champions lingering in the relegation zone with just a solitary victory from 10 league fixtures.
