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It might be time for U.S. Soccer to say goodbye to Mauricio Pochettino.
Manchester United fired head coach Michael Carrick on Thursday. Carrick led his former club to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification last season, but he oversaw a disastrous start to this Premier League season that has the team in the relegation zone through 10 games.
United’s top choice to fill the role is Pochettino, who led Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea before taking over the U.S. job in 2024.
The club made formal contact with U.S. Soccer on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
United would owe U.S. Soccer around $12 million if it steals away Pochettino. The coach has a $10 million release clause in his contract, and his assistant coaches—who have followed him for years through past job changes—could cost United an additional $2 million, ESPN reported.
In early August, the federation and coach announced an agreement for him to stay for a second World Cup cycle through 2030.
As was the case in his first $6 million annual deal, Pochettino’s new contract was largely funded by hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin.
His USMNT thrilled American fans, and he became the first U.S. men’s coach to win three World Cup games before a disastrous 4–1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16.
The USMNT plays Haiti twice over the next week in Miami on Nov. 14 and in Cincinnati on Nov. 17. Pochettino is still expected to coach those matches, according to multiple reports. The Premier League returns from an international break on Nov. 21.
Manchester United is in 18th place in the Premier League with a single win in its first 10 games. The club is owned by the Glazer family—who also owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—and minority owner Jim Ratcliffe.
Pochettino has long been open about his desire to return to the Premier League eventually.
“My dream now is to be in the USA for four years, but after that, why not?” Pochettino told Sky Sports News in September. “We are still young, and I think coming back is always my goal; to win the Premier League, to be in the Premier League and to build a project with the possibility of winning.
“I love the football here. I think to have the chance again is one of my wishes and I hope that happens.”
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