Manchester United faces paying a fee to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager, with Michael Carrick expected to be sacked before United's next game against Liverpool
Mauricio Pochettino is the early favourite to replace Michael Carrick as manager
Mauricio Pochettino is the early favourite to replace Michael Carrick as manager(Image: Getty)
Manchester United faces a multi-million pound outlay should it wish to install Mauricio Pochettino as its next manager.
The former Tottenham Hotspur boss, who currently holds the reins of the United States national team, has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Michael Carrick in the Old Trafford hot seat.
Carrick is widely anticipated to be dismissed before United's forthcoming clash with Liverpool, having presided over the club's most dismal start to a season in forty years.
The Red Devils have managed just a single Premier League triumph since Carrick was handed the role on a permanent basis during the summer, leaving the club languishing in the relegation zone with more than a quarter of the campaign already behind them.
Carrick narrowly avoided the sack following United's defeat to Bournemouth last month, with the club ultimately opting to afford him the chance to turn their fortunes around.
Yet with no discernible improvement in the club's league performances, the 45 year old is widely expected to be relieved of his duties during the current international break.
Pochettino has swiftly established himself as the early favourite for the United position, despite being under contract with the United States until the summer of 2030.
According to the Daily Mail, his agreement contains a buyout clause of approximately $10 million (£7million). The same report suggests that Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann could also feature amongst the candidates vying to succeed Carrick at Old Trafford.
Both individuals were apparently under consideration last month, when United's hierarchy contemplated dismissing Carrick following the loss to Bournemouth.
Should he face the axe in the coming days, it would mean the Red Devils embarking on their search for an eighth permanent boss since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013.
Pochettino is thought to have a £7m release clause in his contract
Pochettino is thought to have a release clause in his contract(Image: Getty)
Pochettino was heavily tipped for the United position prior to Erik ten Hag's appointment in 2022, and once more when the Dutchman was dismissed two years later.
He possesses substantial Premier League pedigree, having previously overseen Tottenham, Chelsea and Southampton alongside a stint at the helm of Paris Saint-Germain.
Howe was earlier regarded as the frontrunner to replace Carrick, but it's understood that no approach has been made to the former Newcastle chief.
It would require United approximately $4M (£3m) to bring him in under the conditions of his departure from the Magpies on the eve of the current campaign.
Nagelsmann, on the other hand, continues to be without a club since stepping down from his position as Germany manager after their World Cup elimination in the round of 32.