Manchester United have reached a verbal agreement in principle with Mauricio Pochettino to become their next manager, Sky Sports reported on Wednesday — the clearest sign yet that Michael Carrick’s turbulent reign at Old Trafford is about to end.
The agreement is not yet a done deal. It is conditional on the club deciding to part ways with Carrick, a call expected to be made at a meeting in Monaco on Wednesday involving co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox. Carrick remains in post and took training at Carrington on Wednesday morning, but Berrada and Wilcox are reported to be leaning towards dismissing him, and a final decision may not come until Thursday.
Man Utd Pochettino verbal agreement: what Sky Sports reported
United were already reported to be finalising a deal on Wednesday morning, with personal terms discussed on Tuesday and no major obstacles expected. The verbal agreement in principle is the next step: theScore also reported that United have reached the agreement with the 54-year-old, who is said to be keen on returning to the Premier League.
No formal contact has yet been made with US Soccer, who would be due compensation if Pochettino leaves his role as United States head coach. The Argentine is understood to have a release clause worth $10 million (about £7.5 million) in his contract, although Sky Sports put the buyout figure at around £7 million. Pochettino signed a contract extension with the United States only three months ago, tying him to the national team through the 2030 World Cup.
What happens next in Monaco
Wednesday’s Monaco meeting is where Carrick’s fate will be decided for good. Berrada and Wilcox flew out to meet Ratcliffe, who has a home in the principality, with the Glazer family also reported to be attending. If the recommendation to dismiss Carrick is ratified, an announcement could follow on Thursday — although reports say Carrick has yet to be officially informed of any decision.
United have the rest of the two-week international break to settle the situation before returning to action at bitter rivals Liverpool on Sunday 22 November. As things stand, Pochettino is still due to coach the United States against Haiti on Saturday, with his pre-match press conference scheduled for Friday.
Why Pochettino, and why now
United sit 18th in the Premier League with eight points from 10 games — one win, and an eight-match winless run that is their worst start to a season in 40 years. It is also their lowest position 10 games into a top-flight season since 1986/87. Carrick was widely expected to be axed in late October after a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth, and looked certain to go when his side twice trailed Aston Villa by two goals on Sunday — only for United to score twice in stoppage time to rescue a 4-4 draw.
Carrick, 45, was hired on a permanent basis in the close season after leading United to a third-place finish during his spell as interim boss, having taken over when Ruben Amorim was sacked in January. But his team have endured a steep decline this term, hampered by a summer window in which the club signed only midfielders — Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos — despite the glaring need for new forwards.
Pochettino, who has been linked with the Old Trafford job on several previous occasions, brings extensive Premier League experience from spells at Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea. At Spurs he delivered three successive top-three finishes and a run to the 2019 Champions League final. Former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, ex-Chelsea chief Antonio Conte and former Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann have also been linked with the job, but Pochettino is now the clear favourite — and Rio Ferdinand has already backed him as the man to take over.
If the Monaco meeting goes as expected, Pochettino’s return to the Premier League will be confirmed within days. For more on the fixtures ahead, check today’s predictions.
Photo: Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) — collage by SportsBuddy
