Mauricio Pochettino appears closer than ever to taking over at Manchester United, with the club weighing up whether Michael Carrick could be removed this week. That decision has not yet been finalised, but the direction of travel is clear.

This is not a sudden courtship. United have been connected with Pochettino for well over a decade, first when they chose Louis van Gaal instead of the Argentine, who went on to join Tottenham Hotspur. Since then, the links have resurfaced repeatedly, including in 2016, 2018 and 2021, whenever the manager’s seat at Old Trafford became unsettled.

Yet on each of those occasions, Pochettino was tied to another job. He was at Tottenham and later at Paris Saint-Germain, which meant United never had an open lane to move for him. Even so, the club passed on him again more recently, twice in fact.

David Ornstein said on The Athletic FC podcast this week that Pochettino was in the “final two” in May 2022 before United appointed Erik ten Hag after his work at Ajax. By then, Pochettino was departing PSG after 18 months that brought three trophies but ended badly. United then moved away from him again in 2024.

That summer, Pochettino was available after leaving Chelsea by mutual consent at the end of a 2023-24 campaign marked by tension with the sporting hierarchy at Stamford Bridge. United were reviewing options after Ten Hag’s impact fell short of expectations, and Pochettino was among the candidates they spoke to before deciding to keep the Dutchman.

He soon took charge of U.S. Soccer, while Ruben Amorim, also considered that summer, later replaced Ten Hag after the dismissal.

“I did not hear the best feedback from how it went on that occasion,” Ornstein said. “I was told they were a little underwhelmed regarding his coaching, his hunger, his work rate. I don’t know all of the factors, but that sort of gist.

“Clearly, they didn’t think that highly of him because they ended up taking [Thomas] Tuchel and [Roberto] De Zerbi to the ‘last two,’ and ultimately gave Ten Hag a new contract.”

If that was the view then, it appears to have shifted now. United could have taken him in the summer of 2026, when he was briefly available after the World Cup, but instead promoted Carrick from interim to permanent manager following a strong finish to 2025-26.

There are still other options on the market, but United seem prepared to pay to free Pochettino and his staff from their U.S. Soccer contracts rather than turn to a free agent such as Antonio Conte or Julian Nagelsmann. Jason Wilcox, now sporting director, had only recently moved into the technical director role in spring 2024 and was impressed that Ten Hag accepted his tactical advice for the FA Cup final win over Manchester City. Results later changed the picture.

Pochettino, meanwhile, may also be in a different place after his Chelsea spell. If United do move for him, the structure around him and his remit would almost certainly need to be clear before any appointment is completed.

Rio Ngumoha has described his switch from Chelsea to Liverpool as an obvious decision, saying the promise of a clearer route to first-team football made the move straightforward.

Chelsea were frustrated to lose a highly rated youngster, with Liverpool eventually paying a minimum of $3.7 million after a tribunal. But for Ngumoha, the attraction of a defined pathway at Anfield outweighed everything else.

“I feel like I needed a new challenge,” Ngumoha told The Guardian. “Liverpool gave me a new pathway. The plan that they set for me was straightforward. It was a no-brainer. They just said if I prove myself then they know that I would definitely be a star for them in the making.”

The 18-year-old has already begun to justify that faith. After making his debut in the 2024-25 season, he went on to feature 29 times the following campaign, a year highlighted by a late winner against Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Arne Slot provided the platform for his breakthrough, and Ngumoha is now benefiting from fresh leadership. Andoni Iraola has given him regular starts and useful minutes from the bench, with the forward generally impressing and adding two assists.

Ngumoha also sees the Ballon d’Or as a realistic target in the future, helped by the wider impact of Harry Kane’s success. “Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or is definitely a big thing,” said the teenager. “It’s also helped English football now because everyone’s seen one of us win the Ballon d’Or , it is definitely encouraging many more people to want to be known as the best player in the world.

“For me, I would like to achieve it and I think I can do it.”

He will have the chance to discuss that ambition with Kane during the current international break, after being named once more in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.

Ngumoha’s departure also reflects a familiar pattern. Chelsea’s habit of collecting elite young talent has often led to players seeking opportunities elsewhere, and he joins the likes of Marc Guéhi, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento and Michael Olise in leaving Stamford Bridge in search of a clearer route to senior soccer.

Even so, Chelsea’s approach has not changed. Last summer they spent $167 million on four players aged 22 or under, yet minutes have remained hard to find. Dastan Satpayev has already gone on loan, while Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra and Valentín Barco have managed only four Premier League starts between them.

Manchester United are said to be edging closer to appointing Mauricio Pochettino, even though the club has not yet completed the process of deciding whether to remove current manager Michael Carrick.

According to reports, chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Jason Wilcox have already concluded that a change is needed. The pair, after celebrating United’s stoppage-time equalizer against Aston Villa on Sunday, then travelled to Monaco to present their position to co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The steps required to settle Carrick’s fate remain in motion.

United’s preference, however, has become clear. The Athletic reports that Pochettino is the leading candidate and is now in advanced negotiations with the club. Other names, including Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte, had been discussed, but Pochettino is viewed as the preferred option.

United still have to agree terms with the former Tottenham Hotspur boss and have not yet spoken to U.S. Soccer, which suggests the talks are being handled carefully. Mike Keegan of The Overlap has reported that there is discussion over whether Pochettino will remain in charge of the USMNT for their two upcoming Nations League quarterfinal matches against Haiti this month before moving on to United for the trip to Liverpool on Nov. 22.

It has also been widely reported that United would need to pay around $10 million to release Pochettino from his USMNT agreement, with “millions more” potentially required to bring his trusted assistants with him. One of those assistants, Jesús Pérez, was previously involved in a trip to Manchester to visit the National Football Museum during time off while the pair were at Tottenham Hotspur.

During a World Cup media session over the summer, Pochettino joked to Pérez: “One day your dream comes true. You go to Manchester United.” Pérez replied: “United should have got you.” Pochettino answered: “Future, future!”

For now, Carrick is still employed by Manchester United. He took training on Tuesday and Wednesday as normal, arriving early to oversee work for players not on international duty.