MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United is working on a potential deal to have U.S. men’s team coach Mauricio Pochettino to replace Michael Carrick, who is under pressure after a dismal start to the season, a source with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday. United is in 18th place in the Premier League standings after 10 rounds, the club’s worst start in the modern era. Pochettino is a candidate to succeed Carrick, even though the 54-year-old Argentine is under contract with the U.S. team through the 2030 World Cup. A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that preparations to appoint Pochettino had been carried out as a matter of “due diligence.” The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because no final decision has been made on Carrick’s future. Julian Nagelsmann, Eddie Howe and Antonio Conte have also been reported to be options in recent weeks. It is not uncommon for clubs weigh up potential candidates and reach out to intermediaries before deciding to fire a coach. Pochettino, who has previously coached Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea in the Premier League, took over the U.S. team in October 2024 and led it to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup. He was a leading candidate for Manchester United in 2022 when Erik ten Hag was ultimately hired. Pochettino won the French title with Paris Saint-Germain in 2022, but arguably his greatest achievement was turning Tottenham into a serial title contender in the Premier League and also leading the London club to the Champions League final in 2019. He has never won a major trophy in England, most recently losing in the final of the English League Cup with Chelsea in 2024. Carrick, who said Sunday that he would not walk away from the job, was due to lead training Wednesday despite increased speculation over his position. United opted against firing him last month, deciding to give him time to turn around a wretched start to the season, but Sunday’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa left the 20-time English champion in the relegation zone with just one win from 10 games. ___ James Robson, The Associated Press
