Mauricio Pochettino is Manchester United’s first choice to succeed Michael Carrick, according to ESPN. The United States head coach leads a shortlist that also includes Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann.
The Athletic’s latest report says Carrick is likely to be sacked before the end of the international break. United officials have already begun weighing up potential successors, with a final decision still under discussion.
Pressure on Carrick intensified after a 4–4 draw with Aston Villa left United 18th with eight points from ten games, their worst start to a Premier League season.
Any move for Pochettino would hinge on his contract with U.S. Soccer. He extended his deal in August to cover the 2030 World Cup after leading the United States to the last 16 in 2026. The Independent has reported that the contract contains a release clause that would allow him to leave early.
Former Newcastle manager Howe and Nagelsmann, who stepped down as Germany head coach after the World Cup, both have backers within the United hierarchy.
Pochettino began his Premier League career at Southampton in January 2013. He guided the Saints to eighth in his first full season, matching their best finish in the competition at the time, before moving to Tottenham.
Spurs finished in the top four in four successive seasons under Pochettino, including a second-place finish in 2016–17. He also took them to their first Champions League final in 2019, when they lost to Liverpool.
The Argentine returned to England with Chelsea in 2023–24, taking them from 12th in mid-December to sixth by the end of the season. He also led them to the League Cup final before leaving by mutual consent.
United return to action against Liverpool at Anfield on 22 November. Pochettino’s United States side face Haiti twice during the break, on 14 and 18 November.
