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Pochettino a decade in Man Utd's making
Confirmed
In Short: Manchester United reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Mauricio Pochettino to become the club's new head coach, potentially replacing Michael Carrick.
Manchester United reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Mauricio Pochettino to become the club's new head coach, potentially replacing Michael Carrick, according to multiple reports.
Pochettino, currently the manager of the United States national team, signed a contract extension with the US team in September 2023, but his deal includes a £7m release clause.
The move to Old Trafford has been a long time coming for Pochettino, who was first linked with the club in 2016 when he was spotted leaving a lunch appointment with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Pochettino was also a contender for the managerial position in 2018 and 2022, but the club ultimately chose other candidates.
Sources indicate that Pochettino has been a consistent target for Manchester United over the years, with the club considering him for the position in May 2022 when Erik ten Hag was appointed.
Pochettino's coaching staff, including his chief confidant and assistant coach Jesus Perez, first-team coach Miguel D’Agostino, and goalkeeper coach Antonio Jimenez, have worked with him since 2009.
The decision to potentially replace Carrick with Pochettino is expected to be finalized at a Monaco summit on Wednesday.
United are poised to pay a compensation fee of up to £20m if they decide to hire Pochettino and fire Carrick.
Pochettino's previous experience with the US national team and his proven Premier League quality make him a strong candidate for the Manchester United position.
What this adds
The reports suggest that Pochettino's potential move to Manchester United is contingent on the club's decision to part ways with Carrick.
What's confirmed
- Manchester United reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Mauricio Pochettino to become the club's new head coach, potentially replacing Michael Carrick, according to multiple reports.
- Pochettino, currently the manager of the United States national team, signed a contract extension with the US team in September 2023, but his deal includes a £7m release clause.
- The move to Old Trafford has been a long time coming for Pochettino, who was first linked with the club in 2016 when he was spotted leaving a lunch appointment with Sir Alex Ferguson.
- Pochettino was also a contender for the managerial position in 2018 and 2022, but the club ultimately chose other candidates.
- Sources indicate that Pochettino has been a consistent target for Manchester United over the years, with the club considering him for the position in May 2022 when Erik ten Hag was appointed.
- Pochettino's coaching staff, including his chief confidant and assistant coach Jesus Perez, first-team coach Miguel D’Agostino, and goalkeeper coach Antonio Jimenez, have worked with him since 2009.
- The decision to potentially replace Carrick with Pochettino is expected to be finalized at a Monaco summit on Wednesday.
- United are poised to pay a compensation fee of up to £20m if they decide to hire Pochettino and fire Carrick.
- Pochettino's previous experience with the US national team and his proven Premier League quality make him a strong candidate for the Manchester United position.
What's still developing
- Ratcliffe and INEOS should be ashamed at how they are running Man Utd Kane, Palmer and Paz: Pochettino's dream Man Utd XI revealed 'Chosen one' or 'cooked'?
- Swashbuckling Antonee Robinson has become a trusted lieutenant for Pochettino in the US national team.
- Pochettino was the other name on United's shortlist when Erik ten Hag was appointed in April 2022, then again when the Dutchman was shown the door in October 2024.
- Pochettino was mentioned as a contender to succeed Louis van Gaal when he was sacked by United in May 2016, then when Jose Mourinho suffered the same fate in December 2018.
- Carrick took training at Carrington on Wednesday with the players not currently on international duty, while an agreement was struck for Pochettino to potentially come in as his replacement.
- Speaking on The Athletic FC podcast this week, journalist David Ornstein noted that Pochettino was in the “final two” in May 2022 when the club decided to appoint Erik ten Hag after an impressive Ajax run.
- Pochettino, at that point, was leaving PSG after 18 months that delivered three trophies but ended in disappointment.
- It has been a very long road to reach this point, with Pochettino—in hindsight—arguably the best choice to replace David Moyes at Old Trafford way back in 2014.
- The i Paper has been told Pochettino has a clause in his contract with the USA national team, which he only signed in the summer, meaning that any elite club wanting to prize the Argentine from his current role will only pay $10m, just over £7m, rather than the full four-year deal cost.
- On possible replacements, the report adds that former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is ‘expected to figure highly among the candidates’, while ex-Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and former Bayern Munich and Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann ‘have admirers at the club’.
- Mauricio Pochettino, Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann have emerged as possible candidates to take over at Old Trafford if the club decides to part ways with the Englishman.
- Pochettino has previously interviewed to coach Manchester United on three different occasions.