With Manchester United in dire straits, the English club might be looking to United States men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino as a potential replacement. Pochettino has emerged as one of the favored candidates to succeed United manager Michael Carrick if he is fired, ESPN reported Monday.
United is currently third-to-last in the Premier League table and is facing relegation for the first time since the division was created. Carrick has spent the season on the hot seat, but is on the brink of finally being sacked after failing to turn the season around.
ESPN reports that discussions on whether to fire Carrick are still ongoing, but that there is a sense of “acceptance” that a new manager is needed.
Candidates that are reportedly being considered include former Newcastle coach Eddie Howe, former Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann and former Ipswitch Town head coach Kieran McKenna, per ESPN. But Pochettino, who coached at Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea before taking the USMNT job in 2024, has reportedly emerged as a frontrunner.
Pochettino agreed to stay with the USMNT on a new contract in early August, with the deal keeping the 54-year-old Argentine in charge of the Stars and Stripes through the 2030 World Cup. Coming off its best World Cup appearance in decades, the move was intended to give the U.S. some continuity for the next four-year World Cup cycle.
ESPN reports that Pochettino’s contract includes a $10 million release clause, which Man United would have to pay in order to hire Pochettino.
Manchester United started the 2026-27 Premier League season with a stunning 2-0 loss to recently-promoted Hull City. Things have not gotten much better for the team since then, with highlights including a derby loss to a short-handed Manchester City and a crumbling 2-0 loss to Chelsea last week.
The Red Devils currently only have one win across the first 10 games of the season, and are one point out of last place in the Premier League.
Pochettino has expressed an interest in embracing a “fresh start” for the next cycle, and has utilized the country’s young up-and-coming players in recent international breaks. However, Pochettino’s departure would leave the USMNT without that sense of direction, though with plenty of time to find a new coach before the next World Cup.
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