Coach’s contract has release clause of about $10m
United expected to sack Michael Carrick after awful start
US men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino is interested in a move to Manchester United, multiple sources told the Guardian, with those same sources characterizing the interest as mutual.
United are expected to sack their head coach, Michael Carrick, after a disastrous start to their season which leaves them at risk of relegation from the Premier League, their worst opening to a campaign in four decades.
Securing Pochettino’s services is far from simple or inexpensive. The Argentinian’s contract contains a release clause in the neighborhood of $10m (£7.5m), multiple sources familiar with the deal told the Guardian this week, a figure that grows should United choose to retain Pochettino’s staff, including his longtime assistant and confidant Jesús Pérez, who has worked with Pochettino for 16 years. The Athletic first reported the details of Pochettino’s buyout.
Pochettino was brought on by the US in 2024 and guided the USMNT to a last-16 finish at the 2026 World Cup, by most accounts a disappointment. US Soccer brought him back through 2030, with both sides expressing a mutual belief and commitment towards not only brightening the fortunes of the US men but also overhauling the federation’s approach towards youth development.
“Every time we sign a contract, it’s to go to the last day of the contract,” Pochettino told reporters after his contract renewal. “If we sign a four-year contract, we need to think to arrive there. And we signed the contract because we really believe that we are going to be four years there. Because if not, it’s bad. If we don’t believe in that process, if we don’t believe in that journey, why sign [for] four years? Only to be sure that we are going to receive a salary at the end of the month? That is not nice. It’s not the way that we think. We really signed that contract because we really believe that we can arrive to the end.”
Pochettino, who has been linked with a host of high-profile club openings since his arrival in the United States, tempered those remarks by adding another: “In life, nothing is sure. Less in football.”
The USMNT are days from a pair of Concacaf Nations League matches against Haiti in Cincinnati and Miami, their first competitive fixtures of the 2030 qualifying cycle. Pochettino is scheduled to address reporters on Friday afternoon.
Why would Pochettino be interested?
Pochettino has repeatedly expressed his interest in returning to the Premier League during his time with the US. As recently as September, he spoke to Sky Sports about the idea of winning the league and “building a project with the possibility of winning”. In late 2025 he said much the same, telling the BBC he believed the league was the best in the world and adding “of course I am missing it. I am so happy in America but am thinking but also thinking one day to come back.”
Beyond his stated interest, Pochettino is also widely known as a coach who enjoys the day-to-day responsibilities of coaching and he’s widely regarded as an excellent man-manager who thrives in the daily rhythm of life at a club. He maintains a home in London and speaks glowingly of the UK and the football culture that permeates it. In short, there are no shortage of reasons for him to leave the US.
What would US Soccer do if he leaves?
Most federations have contingency plans developed for the departure of a head coach and the US federation is no exception, especially given the repeated interest in Pochettino over the years. Prior to bringing the Argentine on board, US Soccer reached out to or spoke to several other high-profile candidates, most notably former Liverpool and current Germany boss Jürgen Klopp.
In the nearer term, several domestic candidates could fit the bill – current U-23 head coach Steve Cherundolo being one. Nashville SC head coach (and former US interim head coach) BJ Callaghan could be another candidate close to home, having guided the MLS club to a league-record points total this season.
In some respects, there is no better time for Pochettino to depart; doing so now would allow an incoming coach the majority of a four-year cycle to work with and the federation itself would earn millions just months after Pochettino could’ve departed for free.
Is Pochettino likely to leave without his coaching staff?
That feels highly unlikely. Pochettino enjoys an unusually close relationship with his assistants, in particular his second-in-command, Jesús Pérez. Pérez has served alongside Pochettino at every stop in his coaching career, from La Liga side Espanyol in 2010 to stops at Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, PSG and Chelsea in the 15 years that followed. It’s rare to see Pochettino anywhere in a professional capacity without Pérez at his side.
Pochettino has similarly close bonds with his other assistants – Miki D’Agostino, goalkeeper coach Toni Jiménez and several others. They, too, have been with the Argentine since the start.
