Michael Carrick has indeed been fired by Manchester United amid their terrible start, but the Red Devils won’t turn to an Italian coach, even though Antonio Conte was seemingly the frontrunner for a couple of weeks, as they have poached Mauricio Pochettino from the USMNT instead, paying his release clause, Mediaset reports.

The Old Trafford-based franchise currently resides in the relegation zone in the Premier League, having won just once in ten matches, with five draws and four losses. They have done a little better in Europe, prevailing twice in four tilts, but also getting pushed around by Como and Atletico Madrid.

Carrick lasted ten months on the Manchester United bench, having taken over from Darren Fletcher in January 2026, while Pochettino gets the job after being linked to it multiple times in the past. He left his post across the pond despite having two further years on his deal. Milan eyes him last summer while the World Cup was ongoing, but the pursuit proved too challenging. They eventually picked Ruben Amorim.

Conte had hinted at his desire to take over a major club that had lost its way. The chatter about his appointment cooled off in the past week or so, even if the dismissal was getting increasingly likely. His big demands might have contributed. He’ll remain a free agent.

Our Take on Manchester United, Pochettino, and Conte

It would have been an ideal landing spot for the latter, as the only way for them is up, and because of their financial firepower, but he’s not for everybody. It’s good news for Juventus, which won’t lose the only logical option to replace Luciano Spalletti midseason.