Mauricio Pochettino is set to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal to become the next Manchester United manager, the newest report has revealed.

After leaving the Red Devils 18th in the Premier League table with just eight points from their first 10 matches, it came as no surprise to anyone to see the club sack Michael Carrick on Thursday.

He became the seventh permanent manager to lose his job since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, and fans will hope that the next boss can be the one to finally bring the team back to the pinnacle of English football.

Pochettino was widely reported to be the frontrunner, even ahead of candidates like Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann.

The Athletic have revealed that the Argentine is set to sign a contract until 2029, and his first game will come against Liverpool at Anfield on November 22.

New Man United manager: Major timeline problem before Liverpool

A win at Anfield against Liverpool would be the best possible start to life as United boss for Pochettino, but there are concerns about how long he will have to prepare for that match.

The 54-year-old is expected to take charge of the USA national team for the country's Concacaf Nations League quarter-final legs against Haiti.

Those clashes will take place on Saturday and on Wednesday, while the Red Devils will face Liverpool on Sunday, meaning he will have very little time to prepare his squad for their clash against their biggest rivals.

Many thought that Carrick would be dismissed weeks ago, so the fact that United have waited until now to agree a deal with Pochettino is yet another indictment on the chaos behind the scenes at Old Trafford.

Mauricio Pochettino at Man United: The right Michael Carrick successor

Pochettino will need grace given United are arguably at their lowest ever period since Ferguson's retirement, but fans should be excited about the club's next manager.

The 54-year-old's Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton sides were some of the hardest working teams in Europe, and that type of intensity has long been missing at Old Trafford.

If Pochettino can change the culture in training and in the squad, that could have a lasting effect beyond his tenure in Manchester.

The only question is whether the Argentine will be backed sufficiently by the decision makers above him, as if he is let down by the likes of Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada, then United's ceiling under him will be capped.