US media: Man Utd leadership thought Pochettino was unattainable, no other candidates once he agreed

November 13 – According to authoritative US media reports, Manchester United's management initially believed that Pochettino was out of reach. However, from the moment Manchester United learned Pochettino was available, he became their only choice.

According to James Robson, a reporter for an authoritative US media outlet, from the moment Manchester United learned Pochettino was available, he became the only candidate—there were no other contenders in the struggling Premier League club's search for a new manager.

Manchester United's management initially thought that Pochettino, like Emery of Aston Villa, would be beyond their reach.

A source familiar with the situation, who requested anonymity to protect relationships, stated that Emery transformed Aston Villa from a team mired in the relegation zone into a strong contender for a Champions League spot, thereby gaining significant support within Manchester United. However, the Spanish manager is currently under contract with no buyout clause, making him unavailable.

Pochettino, who signed a four-year contract in August tying him to the United States men's national team until after the 2030 World Cup, was also initially considered out of reach.

Manchester United is very familiar with him. He was one of the top candidates for the position in 2022 before the team ultimately settled on Erik ten Hag. And in the summer of 2024, he also made a strong impression on Manchester United—at that time, under new sports management, Manchester United considered dismissing ten Hag and contacted several managerial candidates, including Pochettino.

The insider said that both parties then determined that the timing was not right for him to take over so soon after his brief tenure at Chelsea.

Now, Pochettino's experience coaching the United States team has rekindled his fighting spirit—including leading the team to the Round of 16 in this year's World Cup—making this the opportune moment.

According to the source, Manchester United was finalizing the details of Pochettino's appointment on Thursday, with an official announcement expected soon. The source also detailed Manchester United's pursuit of the Argentine coach this week.

After Manchester United learned that Pochettino's newly signed contract contained a buyout clause, steps were taken to finalize the deal, and due diligence was completed before manager Carrick was dismissed on Thursday.

Convinced that Pochettino was willing to take on the increasingly challenging role, Chelsea then informed the United States Soccer Federation of their interest in hiring the coach who had greatly boosted the morale of US soccer during the World Cup. According to the insider, this formal approach was made on Wednesday, the night before Carrick's dismissal.

At that time, rumors about Pochettino were already rampant, and the odds of him becoming Manchester United's eighth permanent manager in 13 years had significantly shortened.

Critics slammed Manchester United's handling of the entire process, making Carrick wait until Thursday to learn his fate while news had been widely leaked much earlier.

The delay was due to multiple reasons. First, no decision could be made until an internal review was completed. The source said Carrick had been kept informed of developments throughout the process.

The decision to change managers was finalized only after CEO Omar Berrada and Football Director Jason Wilcox met with shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday. According to sources, Berrada and Wilcox returned to Manchester on Wednesday evening and chose not to inform Carrick by phone, but rather in person during a meeting at the club's training ground on Thursday morning.

This should not have come as a surprise to Carrick, even though he was not even halfway through his two-year contract.

During his tenure, Manchester United had their worst start in 40 years. The 20-time English champions managed only one win in 10 games and are currently 18th in the league table, in the relegation zone.

Another person familiar with the decision-making process said that such results were completely "unacceptable" for Manchester United, and a change had to be made.

The person requested anonymity to speak, as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Barring any last-minute complications, Pochettino's debut as manager is set for November 22 against Liverpool.

He will be the latest in a long line of candidates tasked with the responsibility of returning the club, once a long-dominant force in English football, to its former glory.

Since Alex Ferguson's last season in charge in 2013, the team has not won a Premier League title and has been surpassed by rivals such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

Pochettino led Paris Saint-Germain to a Ligue 1 title and transformed Tottenham into a Premier League title contender, but his experience in England during the 2023-24 season with Chelsea was less than satisfactory.

Chelsea ultimately finished sixth in the league table, missing out on Champions League qualification, and lost to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final, meaning Pochettino has yet to win a major trophy in English football.

Both Manchester United and Pochettino hope that their partnership can end this losing streak.