Manchester United are close to a deal to make Mauricio Pochettino their next head coach, with Michael Carrick expected to be sacked after a dismal start to the season.
The Athletic, which first reported the talks, said the club spent Tuesday agreeing personal terms with the 54-year-old Argentine’s representatives, and that no problems were expected.
United have won only three of their last 15 games and sit in the Premier League relegation zone.
Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox were meeting co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday. The meeting was arranged long ago, but Carrick’s position is expected to dominate it.
Club sources insist no final decision has been taken, and any change would need sign-off from both Ratcliffe and the club’s majority owners, the Glazer family.
Carrick, 45, took training at Carrington on Tuesday and Wednesday. The former United midfielder was given the job permanently after a successful spell as interim coach, but results have collapsed since. United have won just one of their first 10 league games, and their only win in 11 matches in all competitions came against Roma in the Champions League last week.
United’s next game is against Liverpool at Anfield on 22 November, after the international break. Striker Benjamin Šeško is already ruled out until January with a shin injury.
Pochettino signed a new contract with US Soccer in August that runs until the 2030 World Cup. It includes a clause allowing him to talk to a major European club willing to pay a release fee of about $10m (£7.4m).
United have not yet contacted US Soccer, but Pochettino has kept the federation informed of the club’s interest, according to reports. Further compensation would be due for his coaching staff, including his long-time assistant Jesús Pérez.
He is still expected to take charge of the US team’s two Concacaf Nations League games against Haiti, in Miami on Saturday and Cincinnati on Tuesday. The winner reaches the semi-finals in March.
“We’re training like he’s going to be the coach tomorrow, because we don’t know what’s gonna happen,” said US defender Chris Richards.
Pochettino’s links with United go back to 2016, when, as Tottenham manager, he was seen leaving a lunch with Sir Alex Ferguson at a restaurant in Mayfair.
His name came up when Louis van Gaal was sacked that year and again when Jose Mourinho left in 2018. He was interviewed in 2022 before the club chose Erik ten Hag, and was considered twice more in 2024.
He has made no secret of his ambition. Speaking to reporters during this summer’s World Cup, he turned to Pérez and said: “One day, your dream comes true. You go to Manchester United.” When Pérez replied that United should have hired him, Pochettino smiled and said: “Future. Future.”
At Tottenham, Pochettino never finished lower than fifth in a full season and led the club to the 2019 Champions League final. He helped develop Harry Kane, this year’s Ballon d’Or winner.
But his trophy haul is thin. He won the French Cup and the Ligue 1 title with Paris St-Germain, but nothing in England. His one season at Chelsea, in 2023-24, ended in sixth place and a League Cup final defeat.
He took over the US team in September 2024 and has won 21 of his 35 games. At this summer’s World Cup, he led the co-hosts to the last 16, where they lost 4-1 to Belgium.
United’s previous shortlists have included Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann, according to reports, while Kieran McKenna and Brighton’s Fabian Hürzeler are also admired. But club bosses are said to believe the current situation needs a more experienced manager.