Manchester United have reportedly reached a verbal agreement in principle with former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino to take over from Michael Carrick as the club moves to address its poor run of results.
Carrick’s future at Old Trafford has come under serious scrutiny following United’s worst start to a season in 40 years, with the club dropping to 18th place in the Premier League after eight consecutive matches without a win.
Although Carrick remains in charge, his position is expected to be decided at a meeting in Monaco on Wednesday involving influential shareholder Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.
Berrada and Wilcox are reportedly in favour of dismissing the former England midfielder.
According to Sky Sports, United have reached a verbal agreement in principle with Pochettino, who currently manages the United States national team, to become their new head coach.
The 54-year-old has considerable Premier League experience, having managed Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea. However, he signed a contract extension with the United States just three months ago, committing to the team until the 2030 World Cup.
A move to Manchester United would reportedly trigger compensation to US Soccer, with Pochettino understood to have a $10m (£7.5m) release clause in his contract.
Carrick was seen arriving at United’s Carrington training ground on Wednesday, but reports suggest his departure could be imminent.
The 45-year-old had escaped dismissal in late October after United suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. However, the team subsequently lost 2-0 to Chelsea before recovering from two goals down to beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League.
United’s dramatic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday, after twice trailing by two goals, had appeared to strengthen Carrick’s position, as the players showed determination to fight back.
However, a managerial change now appears increasingly likely, with former Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, ex-Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and former Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann also linked with the job.
United have the remainder of the two-week international break to settle their managerial situation before facing arch-rivals Liverpool on November 22.
Carrick, who was appointed permanently during the close-season after guiding United to third place as interim manager, has overseen the club’s decline to 18th position. It is their lowest standing after 10 top-flight matches since the 1986/87 season, when they were 20th.
He had initially earned praise for stabilising the team following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal in January. However, poor recruitment during the transfer window and difficulties maintaining discipline within the squad have contributed to the club’s struggles.
United signed midfielders Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos in the summer despite an apparent need to strengthen their attacking options.
Carrick also dropped captain Bruno Fernandes after the midfielder criticised his tactics following a 4-1 defeat to Champions League newcomers Como. Defender Lisandro Martinez was also left out after questioning the club’s hierarchy over its failure to recruit more top-quality players.
Despite the poor results, United supporters have largely continued to back Carrick, directing much of their frustration at the Glazer family, Ratcliffe and the underperforming players.
