Overview
- Manchester United confirmed on Thursday that Michael Carrick has left his role as men’s first-team head coach in a club statement.
- Club sources and multiple outlets report Mauricio Pochettino is the preferred successor and that personal terms are close, but an official appointment remains conditional on negotiating a reported $7–10 million payment to U.S. Soccer and further compensation for his backroom staff.
- A Monaco meeting between co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox accelerated the decision after United’s worst start in decades, with one league win from 10 matches and the side sitting 18th in the table.
- Timing is tight because the international break overlaps with Pochettino’s USMNT commitments and United’s next Premier League game is at Liverpool on November 22, so the club is pushing to complete formalities quickly.
- The change underscores wider problems at Old Trafford—squad imbalance, recruitment criticism and repeated managerial turnover since Sir Alex Ferguson—which raises questions about short-term disruption, the financial cost of buying out Pochettino’s contract and the impact on the U.S. national team.