Report: Manchester United Close to Replacing Michael Carrick with Mauricio Pochettino

What happened

Manchester United are on the verge of appointing United States national team coach Mauricio Pochettino to replace Michael Carrick, according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, as cited by ANTARA News. The report, published on 12 November 2026, says the club's management is close to making the move, though it does not state that an agreement has been completed or officially confirmed.

Report details

The potential change comes despite a warning from United player Lisandro Martinez that repeatedly changing coaches will not solve the club's problems. The report frames the move as part of a long pattern: over the past 13 years, United have involved a total of 12 coaches, made up of seven permanent managers, one interim and four caretakers, since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 after holding the job since 1986. None of those 12 has brought a league title to Old Trafford, the report says, while Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal have traded Premier League titles in the same period without changing coaches as often. By contrast, it says neighbouring Manchester City have had three coaches in that span: Manuel Pellegrini, Pep Guardiola and Enzo Maresca.

Carrick, originally an interim replacement for Ruben Amorim in the second half of last season, succeeded in returning United to the Champions League, according to the report. But it says the same squad became mediocre in the 2026/2027 season, and that the arrivals of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemens and Carlos Baleba failed to lift the team's performance.

The report also addresses ownership. Since 2023, the Glazer family no longer has absolute control of the club, with businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe holding about 25 percent of the shares, but the report says Ratcliffe has not yet been able to improve United's results. It adds that the Glazers are aware of the issue but are reluctant to leave United without substantial compensation. In the 13-year period, the report says United have won only three FA Cup trophies, two League Cup trophies and one Europa League trophy.