Manchester United opens talks with Pochettino over Carrick job
Manchester United have opened talks with Mauricio Pochettino to take over from Michael Carrick, although the club has not yet announced a decision on Carrick’s job. The discussions were under way on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, and cover salary and contract length. United’s football department is negotiating directly with representatives of the Argentine coach.
Pochettino is still in charge of the United States men’s national team, which he led to the round of 16 of the World Cup this summer. He coaches the Americans in the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals against Haiti, with matches set for November 14 and 17. Pochettino has asked United’s leaders to handle the institutional talks with U.S. Soccer, the body that runs the national team.
Statistical reports cited in the coverage say United have the worst defence among Europe’s top five leagues, a figure that adds urgency to the change in the coaching staff before league matches resume.
See also: Matheus Cunha is on the scoresheet as Manchester United face AS Roma
Behind the talks and the steps before Anfield
The club’s plan sets a sequence of steps to avoid a gap in coaching before United’s next Premier League game against Liverpool. Each step depends on a different party inside or outside the club.
- Advanced talks: salary and contract terms are being negotiated between United’s football department and Pochettino’s representatives.
- Federation approval: formal dialogue with U.S. Soccer is planned after the double round against Haiti.
- Carrick’s exit: the two-year contract he signed in 2026, after taking over as interim following Rúben Amorim’s departure, would be terminated.
The crisis peaked on Sunday (8), when United drew 4-4 with Aston Villa at Old Trafford in the 10th round of the Premier League. United trailed 4-2 until stoppage time of the second half, when Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu scored to level the match. The result left the club in the relegation zone, with one win in 10 league games.
Pochettino’s contract with U.S. Soccer runs until 2030, after a four-year extension signed in August. ESPN reported that his escape clause is US$10 million, a fee United would have to pay to release him. Carrick is expected to lead training again on Wednesday, while United’s chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox meet co-owner Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco. United’s next match is at Anfield against Liverpool on November 22.
