Mauricio Pochettino will become the next Manchester United manager, with the club’s hierarchy preparing to bring Michael Carrick’s disastrous start to the season to an end.

The Argentine has been linked with the Old Trafford job countless times over the years, but the latest developments suggest that United are finally ready to make the appointment that has been discussed for so long.

Carrick’s position has become increasingly difficult to defend. United sit 18th in the English Premier League after winning just one of their opening ten league matches. It’s an extraordinary decline for a team that finished third last season.

The former United midfielder deserves credit for securing UEFA Champions League qualification after taking charge from Ruben Amorim, but those achievements cannot protect him indefinitely.

United are facing the prospect of a relegation battle and there is little indication that the current situation is about to improve.

The international break has given the club’s hierarchy an opportunity to act and the developments behind the scenes signal a managerial change.

Negotiations with Mauricio Pochettino’s representatives have reached an advanced stage, with personal terms being finalised and no significant obstacles expected.

Once reputable sources report that a club are negotiating with a manager, especially at a level like Manchester United, it’s just a matter of when it will be announced rather than if.

That is the clearest indication yet that the club have made their decision to hire Mauricio Pochettino, with the Glazers already making their preference to Pochettino clear.

Pochettino’s existing contract with the United States national team means compensation will need to be agreed, with his release reportedly costing around £7.5million.

But that is a financial hurdle rather than a reason to believe United will abandon their pursuit.

The club have spent years searching for stability under successive managers and Michael Carrick’s appointment was supposed to bring an end to that cycle.

Unfortunately, United instead find themselves in another crisis, with their Premier League position making decisive action unavoidable.

The volume of reporting, the progress of negotiations and the apparent consensus within United’s leadership all point towards the same conclusion.

Carrick’s departure is inevitable and Manchester United’s next manager will be Mauricio Pochettino.