Mauricio Pochettino in Man Utd talks to replace Carrick

Mauricio Pochettino is in talks with Manchester United about replacing Michael Carrick, who is expected to lose his job as head coach this week, BBC Sport reported on Wednesday. The United States national team coach has a release clause of $10m (about £7.5m) in his contract.

Carrick's future is set to 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 due to attend.

Berrada and Wilcox travelled to Monaco for one of their regular, planned strategy meetings about the club. This time, the main question on the agenda is Carrick and what happens next. Their recommendation is expected to be that the head coach should go.

Carrick was photographed arriving at United's Carrington training ground on Wednesday, with no final announcement made at the time of the BBC report.

Why United are moving now

The results explain the urgency. United sit 18th in the Premier League, inside the relegation zone, after winning only one of their first 10 league games. They have not won a league match since August.

According to BBC Sport, it is the club's lowest position at this stage of a top-flight season since 1986-87, when they were bottom of the table in 20th place.

Our earlier report on why Michael Carrick faces the sack explains how the pressure built up over the opening months of the campaign, despite brighter moments such as the comeback win over Roma.

Mauricio Pochettino and United: a long history

This is not the first time the two have been linked. United have spoken to the former Argentina defender about the manager's job on three earlier occasions:

• In 2018, after Jose Mourinho was sacked
• In 2022, before the club appointed Erik ten Hag
• In 2024, when Ten Hag was dismissed

Each time, United went in a different direction. Now, with the club in its worst league position for four decades, talks are under way again.

His Premier League record

The 54-year-old knows English football well. His first Premier League job was at Southampton, where he arrived in January 2013.

He then spent five years at Tottenham from 2014, a spell that included reaching a Champions League final. After that he took charge of Paris St-Germain from January 2021 to July 2022, and managed Chelsea during the 2023-24 season.

He moved into international football in September 2024 when he became USA head coach. He guided the co-hosts to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

What stands in the way

There are practical hurdles. Pochettino renewed his contract with the United States in August, which is why any move would involve the $10m release clause.

The USA also have important games coming up. They face Haiti in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarter-final over the next week, so the timing of any switch could be delicate for both sides.

BBC Sport said discussions about a Premier League return for the former Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea boss are under way, but no deal had been announced when it published its report.

He has also made clear that English football still appeals to him. In a short BBC Sport video clip, Pochettino said: "Of course I miss the Premier League."

Other names on the list

United are not short of options. BBC Sport has also weighed up other possible candidates, including Eddie Howe and Unai Emery, alongside the option of sticking with Carrick. For now, though, the Argentine is the name at the centre of the club's search.

For fans in Thailand and around the world, the outcome of the Monaco meeting will shape the rest of United's season, which resumes after the November international break.

The original report was published by BBC Sport.

Image: Mauricio Pochettino on the touchline during USMNT v Belgium at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on March 28, 2026. Photo by Bryan Berlin (Berlination) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.