The U.S. men’s national team is preparing for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals at the end of the week; however, that appears to be the least of the team’s concerns at the moment.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino is increasingly being linked with a move to Manchester United, emerging as a frontrunner to replace current manager Michael Carrick, who is reportedly set to be fired by the Premier League club before domestic action resumes.

Pochettino touched down at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer national training center on Monday for the 10-day November international camp amid a whirlwind of uncertainty around his future. The 54-year-old has become a key piece of U.S. Soccer’s long-term plans, inking a four-year contract back in August that not only keeps him at the helm of the USMNT through the 2030 World Cup, but also involves him in every stage of the federation’s youth developmental process. That is all in jeopardy now.

Even though Pochettino has vehemently expressed his motivation to see out the “tremendous potential” of the USMNT—endearing himself to the American fanbase this summer at the home World Cup, he has also put forth his desire to one day return to the club level of the game. Formerly the manager of Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, there is still an itch for that high-intensity, high-stakes environment that he must scratch.

“The Premier League is the best in the world,” he said last December. “Of course I miss it. I am so happy in the U.S., but I am always thinking about returning one day. It is the most competitive league, and of course I would love to come back again.”

Managing one of the biggest clubs in all of Europe may be too big of an opportunity to pass up, and his USMNT contract includes a buyout clause—albeit pricey—that could pave the way for the move. It’s a situation Pochettino’s players are either refusing to consider or trying to make the best of in attempt to tune out the noise and focus on the upcoming fixtures, the Americans’ first competitive matches since the 2026 World Cup.

‘Until Told Otherwise’—USMNT Players Zero in on Concacaf Play

The USMNT will play a two-legged tie against Haiti in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. The first match is on Saturday, and the second is on Nov. 17. The aggregate winner will not only advance to the Nations League finals in March, but also secure an automatic berth in the 2027 Gold Cup.

It is a tie that’s commanding the team’s full attention, according to seasoned veteran Antonee Robinson.

“I mean that news kind of gets thrown all over the rest of the world I’d say,” the 29-year-old fullback told reporters Tuesday. “Similar things happened in the past, I think with the World Cup where huge teams lose their manager and then they start looking at possible candidates. For us to have a manager who’s linked with those sorts of jobs means we’re very lucky.

“We know that we’re working with a top-class manager, but that never seems to leak into the work we do, whether it was the World Cup or whether it’s going to be this camp.”

The Fulham star even ventured to explain his manager’s current thought process, adding: “All that sort of outside noise has nothing to do with [Pochettino]. He’s very much focused on getting the best out of the team, getting these two wins in Nations League and we’ll be on the same page as well.”

Robinson has a long history with the USMNT, and, in turn, has seen several managers come and go. Since his senior debut in May 2018, there have been six USMNT leaders: interim Dave Sarachan (2017–18), Gregg Berhalter (2018–22, 2023–24), interim Anthony Hudson (2023), interim B.J. Callaghan (2023), interim Mikey Varas (2024) and now Pochettino. He knows the coaching carousel all too well and how to navigate it.

“For me personally, I don’t really look at him being linked with jobs as, ‘Oh, this could be the last time he’s in front of me,’” Robinson asserted. “It’s just focusing on we’ve got a game at the weekend, and I’m going to do everything I can to be ready to play for him and how he wants us to play until told otherwise.

“It’s just working with what we’ve got until things change. And I don’t really think it affects many of us, to be honest.”