Manchester United are exploring the possibility of appointing United States men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino as a potential replacement for Michael Carrick, whose position has come under increasing scrutiny following the club's disappointing start to the Premier League season.

United are currently 18th in the Premier League standings after 10 rounds, marking their worst start to a campaign in the modern era. Their difficult run continued on Sunday when they played out a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa, leaving the 20-time English champions with just one victory from their opening 10 matches.

According to a report from The Athletic, the top brass of United have been ironing out personal agreements with the Argentine's representative and have received confirmation from Pochettino's management that there will be no issues. However, a formal confirmation is yet to be reached with the US Football Federation, to whom an exit clause worth around $10 million would need to be paid. Pochettino himself has kept the national football federation abreast of the entire development taking place at OT.

The 54-year-old Argentine remains under contract with the United States until the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Nevertheless, his name has emerged as a leading option for the Old Trafford job as United struggle to find consistency.

Carrick, meanwhile, has insisted that he has no intention of walking away from the position. Despite the growing speculation surrounding his future, he was expected to oversee Wednesday's training session.

Is Mauricio Pochettino's CV Worth The Hype For Manchester United?

Pochettino has considerable experience in English football, having managed Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea. His most notable achievement came at Tottenham, where he transformed the club into consistent Premier League title contenders and guided them to the 2019 UEFA Champions League final.

He also won the French league title with Paris Saint-Germain in 2022, although he has yet to secure a major trophy in English football. His most recent stint in the Premier League ended with Chelsea losing the 2024 English League Cup final.

The Argentine took charge of the United States national team in October 2024 and guided the side to the Round of 16 at this year's World Cup. He was also considered for the Manchester United job in 2022 before the club appointed Erik ten Hag.

The summit of INEOS CEOs has long been scheduled, and while Carrick has not been a specific agenda item, he will inevitably be discussed ahead of what could be a change of head coach.

Pochettino is not the only name being considered for the managerial position. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe and former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Antonio Conte have also been linked with the vacancy in recent weeks.

Story first published: Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 21:29 [IST]

Other articles published on Nov 11, 2026