Pochettino poised to agree 2.5-year deal at Man Utd

Mauricio Pochettino is set to agree a two-and-a-half-year deal to take charge of beleaguered Manchester United following the sacking of Michael Carrick, reports said Friday. The Athletic said an agreement had been reached with the USA head coach over a contract that would keep the 54-year-old at Old Trafford until 2029. Pochettino is set to take charge of his team’s CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final ties against Haiti on Saturday and next Tuesday before heading to Manchester.

An announcement on his future could come as early as Friday, with the Argentinian set to hold a press conference previewing the first leg against Haiti at 1415 GMT. US Soccer is understood to have accepted that Pochettino is stepping down. The federation is set to receive $10 million in compensation for him plus a further $2 million for the departure of his coaching staff.

Carrick was dismissed on Thursday following intense speculation over his future after a disastrous start to the season. The 20-time English champions are in the relegation zone after winning just one of their 10 matches in the Premier League so far. Carrick, who won multiple trophies as a midfielder in the club’s golden era under Alex Ferguson, is the seventh permanent manager to be dismissed by the club since the Scot retired in 2013.

Pochettino guided World Cup co-hosts the USA to the last 16 of the tournament earlier this year before signing a contract extension taking him through to the 2030 World Cup. He has extensive experience of the Premier League following spells in charge of Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea, and he also coached Paris Saint-Germain. One early issue for Pochettino to wrestle with could be the future of United captain Bruno Fernandes, who has been the club’s outstanding performer for many seasons.

The Portuguese attacking midfielder is understood to have rejected a second contract offer. The Red Devils have an option to extend his deal to the end of the 2027/2028 season, meaning he would not be free to talk to other clubs in January. United’s next game is against fierce rivals Liverpool at Anfield on November 22.