Manchester United have their man. The club confirmed on Friday that Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become men's head coach from 18 November, a day after Michael Carrick was sacked with United sitting in the Premier League's relegation zone. Sources have told BBC Sport the Argentine has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract that runs to June 2029.
Haiti first, then Anfield
He will not be at Carrington straight away. United's statement said an agreement had been reached with the US Soccer Federation for Pochettino and his staff to be released once their duties with the national team are finished, and that means two more matches. The USA play Haiti on 14 and 17 November, and he remains in charge for both.
Then it gets difficult quickly. His first game is Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday 22 November. After that United go to Portugal to face Sporting in the Champions League, and his first home match is Brentford in the league on Saturday 28 November. He inherits a side that is 18th with eight points, one win from its opening 10 league games and a point short of safety.
The only coach United spoke to
According to BBC Sport's Simon Stone, United have made it clear Pochettino was the only coach they approached directly. Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte were all mentioned as possibilities after the 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth three weeks ago. None of them got a call.
The club has also felt the need to say, privately, that any claim of a split between the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe is "categorically false". That is an unusual thing to have to deny on the day you unveil a manager. United have now sacked three managers in three seasons, and Opta's numbers put the job in context: Pochettino will be the 12th different person to take charge of the club for a Premier League game since 2013-14. Only Chelsea, with 14, and Crystal Palace, with 13, have had more.
He is bringing his own people. Jesus Perez comes as assistant manager and Miguel D'Agostino as assistant coach, with Toni Jimenez as goalkeeping coach. Sebastiano Pochettino, Mauricio's son, works on performance and sports science, and Silvia Tuya is the physical trainer.
What he leaves behind in America
Pochettino took the USA job in September 2024 and won 21 of his 35 matches, losing 12. He reached the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final and took the co-hosts to the round of 16 at last summer's World Cup. US Soccer chief executive JT Batson said he had "left a lasting mark" on the federation. Pochettino, for his part, called representing the USA one of the greatest honours of his career.
Not everyone in the squad wanted him to go. Monaco striker Folarin Balogun, who scored three times in four games at the World Cup, said on Thursday that if he had a vote he would keep things as they were. Under-23 coach Steve Cherundolo will run the men's camp in December while the search for a successor goes on, and US women's coach Emma Hayes and former defender Oguchi Onyewu are both part of that process.
Carrick's goodbye
Carrick put out his own statement about half an hour after the appointment was announced. It was addressed to the supporters and it was gracious. He described leading the club he loves as an immense privilege, thanked his coaching staff, the people behind the scenes and the players, and said he wanted nothing but success for United.
He also wrote that he would be watching from the sidelines from now on, cheering the team on. There was no dig at anyone, which, given how publicly the last week played out, he might have been forgiven for.
Managerial context: Mauricio Pochettino becomes Manchester United head coach from 18 November 2026 on a contract understood to run to June 2029. He stays with the USA for matches against Haiti on 14 and 17 November. United are 18th in the Premier League with eight points from 10 games. First fixtures: Liverpool (a) 22 November, Sporting (a) in the Champions League, Brentford (h) 28 November. Source: BBC Sport.
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