Manchester United are closing in on an agreement to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach should Michael Carrick be dismissed from his position, following recommendations made to minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe by director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada.
Wilcox and Berrada are scheduled to meet with Ratcliffe in Monaco to advise that Carrick should lose his job, given that Ratcliffe holds control over the club's sporting operations. Although Pochettino currently serves as the head coach of the United States men's national team, he is reportedly keen on taking over at Old Trafford if Carrick is removed as anticipated.
Players within the Manchester United squad increasingly expect Carrick to be sacked, with a widespread belief that Pochettino will step in as his successor. Pochettino brings substantial Premier League experience from previous managerial stints with Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea.
Financial terms for Pochettino's departure from his current role involve a release clause valued at approximately $10m, or £7.5m. However, the total compensation package would increase should the Argentine manager choose to bring his backroom staff with him, including longtime assistant Jesús Pérez, who has collaborated with Pochettino for 16 years.
Despite potential impending club commitments, Pochettino remains scheduled to lead the United States squad in upcoming Concacaf Nations League fixtures against Haiti, marking the start of their competitive fixtures within the 2030 World Cup qualifying cycle.
Meanwhile, Carrick faces mounting pressure following a severely underwhelming start to the campaign that has left Manchester United languishing in 18th place inside the Premier League relegation zone. The 45-year-old manager has managed only a single league victory—against Ipswich back in August—alongside three total wins across all competitions, compounded by a Carabao Cup elimination at the hands of Brighton in September.