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 will attend. Discussions for the former Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea boss to return to the Premier League are already under way.
United have approached Pochettino about their managerial position on three previous occasions: when they sacked Jose Mourinho in 2018, in 2022 before they appointed Erik ten Hag, and again when they sacked the Dutchman in 2024.
Pochettino’s situation
Pochettino renewed his contract with the USA in August, and the team faces Haiti over two legs in the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final next week. The 54-year-old has a $10m (£7.5m) release clause.
Pochettino began his Premier League career at Southampton in January 2013. He then spent five years at Tottenham from 2014, a period that included a Champions League final appearance. He managed Paris St-Germain from January 2021 to July 2022 and spent the 2023-24 season in charge of Chelsea. He moved into international football by taking the USA job in September 2024, and he led the co-hosts to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
A key meeting in Monaco
Berrada and Wilcox flew to Monaco for one of their regular planned meetings on strategy for the club. This time, the main item on the agenda is Carrick’s future and what happens next. Berrada and Wilcox are expected to recommend that the head coach go.
Carrick was pictured arriving at the club’s Carrington training base on Wednesday.
A struggling start to the season
United sit 18th in the Premier League, inside the relegation zone. They have won just one of their first 10 games and have not won since August. It is the club’s lowest position at this stage of a top-flight season since 1986-87, when they finished this stage in 20th.