Mauricio Pochettino emerges as leading contender for Manchester United job

Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Michael Carrick as Manchester United manager, according to ESPN.

United are considering Carrick’s position after Sunday’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa left the club 18th in the Premier League.

The result extended the club’s winless league run to eight matches. Manchester United have suffered three defeats and drawn five times since their last league victory on 30 August.

With only one win and eight points from their opening 10 games, they have made their worst-ever start to a Premier League season.

Pochettino, 54, is currently coach of the United States men’s national team (USMNT). He took charge in 2024 after previous spells managing Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentine’s USMNT contract was extended in August until 2030, following the team’s progress to the last 16 of the World Cup in North America in June and July.

Should Manchester United decide to make a managerial change, Pochettino is not the only alternative being considered. ESPN reports that the club’s hierarchy are also assessing former Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, former Ipswich Town coach Kieran McKenna and former Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann.

Nagelsmann left his role after Germany were eliminated in the last 32 at the World Cup.

Manchester United’s next fixture comes after this week’s international break, when they travel to face Liverpool on 22 November.

The club’s difficult start has placed further scrutiny on Carrick, with United now sitting near the bottom of the Premier League table after 10 matches.

Their draw against Aston Villa featured eight goals but failed to end a run that has seen them collect just eight points since the beginning of the campaign. The team’s sole league win has come during a period in which they have also recorded three defeats and five draws.

Pochettino would bring experience of managing at the highest level in England and across Europe, having previously led Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain before taking charge of the USMNT. His current agreement with the United States runs through 2030.

United’s decision-makers are now weighing whether to retain Carrick or pursue one of the candidates identified in the report, with the Liverpool match their next opportunity to respond on the pitch.

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