Manchester United Nears Agreement with Mauricio Pochettino
Manchester United are moving towards yet another reset. This time, the club’s hierarchy believe they have their man: Mauricio Pochettino.
Talks with the former Tottenham and Chelsea manager are at an advanced stage, with United working to finalise an agreement for him to become their next head coach. He has been identified as the first-choice successor to Michael Carrick, who is expected to be dismissed.
While Carrick oversaw a thin first-team group at Carrington again today, the real action was taking place away from the training ground. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox have flown to Monaco to meet co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose INEOS base in the principality has become the new power centre for football decisions at Old Trafford.
The club spent Tuesday in detailed discussions with Pochettino’s representatives over personal terms. According to The Athletic, no major hurdles are anticipated, and both sides expect to reach a final agreement. The Guardian reported on Tuesday night that Pochettino is keen on the job and ready to step into the Old Trafford dugout at the third time of asking.
He has been here before, at least in theory. United seriously considered him in 2018 before opting for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They did the same again in 2022, only to choose Erik ten Hag. This time, the mood is different. This time, United’s football structure has changed – and so has Pochettino’s situation.
A coach under contract, a federation owed
For all the momentum, the deal is not simple. Pochettino is currently in charge of the United States national team and only recently signed a new four-year contract running to 2030. Any move would trigger a significant compensation payment to US Soccer.
The federation is entitled to around $10m (£7.4m) via an exit clause in his deal, and his staff would also need to be bought out. That figure, and the broader package required to bring his full coaching team across the Atlantic, will test United’s appetite to move quickly.
Timing adds another layer. The international break is under way, and Pochettino is preparing to lead the USA into a double-header against Haiti. United have not yet formally approached US Soccer, despite the intensity of talks with his camp. Until that happens, the situation remains delicate: a coach publicly committed to a long-term national project, privately drawn towards one of club football’s most demanding jobs.
Power lines at Old Trafford
Behind the scenes, the move for Pochettino also exposes shifting power lines at Manchester United.
The Glazer family, who had stepped back from direct football involvement after selling a minority stake to Ratcliffe’s INEOS investment group, are understood to be backing the push for Pochettino. iNews report that he is heavily supported by the Glazers as the man to replace Carrick, a sign that the owners are prepared to reassert themselves after another slide on the pitch.
Within the new football structure, views are not entirely uniform but they intersect on one key point: United need a proven, elite-level coach. Director of football Wilcox is said to favour a manager with a clear Premier League track record, with Eddie Howe and then Pochettino high on his list. Head of recruitment Christopher Vivell, by contrast, is keen on reviving his working relationship with Julian Nagelsmann, forged during their time together at RB Leipzig.
Pochettino sits at the crossroads of those debates. He offers familiarity with English football, experience at the top end of the Premier League, and a reputation for building aggressive, front-foot teams with a clear identity – something United have lacked in the years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Third time lucky?
For Pochettino, the attraction is obvious. Old Trafford remains one of the great stages. Twice he has watched United choose another man. Twice he has seen the club drift again. Now, at 52 and with the security of a long-term international contract, he stands on the brink of the job that has hovered over his career for almost a decade.
United, meanwhile, are once more at a fork in the road. Carrick, a loyal servant and steady presence, is expected to pay the price for regression on the pitch as the club chases a more expansive, long-term vision under a marquee coach.
The negotiations in Monaco, the compensation talks with US Soccer, the internal arguments over direction – all of it feeds into a single question.
If Manchester United finally land Mauricio Pochettino at the third attempt, is this the moment the club stops circling and starts climbing again?
