Manchester United have opened talks with USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino about replacing Michael Carrick, who is expected to lose his job this week.
Carrick’s future will be decided at a meeting in Monaco on Wednesday. Chief executive Omar Berrada, director of football Jason Wilcox and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe are expected to attend. Discussions for the former Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea boss to return to the Premier League are already under way.
Club has approached Pochettino before
United have spoken to the former Argentina defender about their managerial position on three previous occasions. The first was when Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2018. The club also approached him in 2022, before appointing Erik ten Hag, and again when the Dutchman was sacked in 2024.
Pochettino renewed his contract with the USA in August. The team has a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Haiti over the next week. The 54-year-old has a $10m (£7.5m) release clause.
Monaco meeting to decide Carrick’s future
Berrada and Wilcox have flown to Monaco for one of their regular, planned meetings to discuss strategy around the club. On this occasion, the main issue to be decided is Carrick’s future and what should happen next. It is expected that Berrada and Wilcox will recommend that the head coach leave. Carrick was pictured arriving at the club’s Carrington training base on Wednesday.
Poor start leaves United in trouble
United are 18th in the Premier League, inside the relegation zone, after winning just one of their first 10 games and none since August. It is the club’s lowest position at this stage of a top-flight season since 1986-87, when they were 20th.
Pochettino’s career path
Pochettino’s first job in the Premier League was at Southampton from January 2013. He then spent a five-year stint at Tottenham from 2014, which included a Champions League final appearance. He managed Paris St-Germain from January 2021 to July 2022 before spending the 2023-24 season in charge of Chelsea.
He moved into international football by taking the USA job in September 2024. He then led the co-hosts to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup.