It seems rather likely that Michael Carrick will be sacked as Manchester United manager during the current international break. GIVEMESPORT understands that Mauricio Pochettino has emerged among the three leading contenders to take over, along with fellow candidates Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann.

The Argentine is currently head boss of the United States men's national team, and won't come cheap, having recently extended his contract. However, there is a release clause of around $10m (approximately £7m), which could simplify the deal.

This isn't the first time Pochettino has been linked with the Man Utd job. In 2022, he was once again among the strongest contenders, but missed out with Erik ten Hag picked instead.

Ten Hag's Struggles As Man Utd Boss

Ten Hag's time at Old Trafford was ultimately ill-fated. Although things started off well enough, with the Dutchman winning the League Cup and finishing third in the Premier League, things took a notable dip in 2023/24.

The club finished eighth that term on 60 points – which was, at the time, their lowest position in the top flight since 1989/90. A surprise FA Cup final victory over Manchester City kept him in the job heading into his third season, but he lasted until just October before being sacked in 2024, with the Red Devils languishing in 14th place with 11 points from nine Premier League games.

Fast forward to 2026, and Carrick is on the verge of being sacked, with Man Utd on just eight points after 10 league games, sitting in the relegation zone. Once again, Pochettino is linked with the English giants, but why didn't the club make their move back in 2022?

Man Utd Had Three Issues With Hiring Pochettino

As per reports at the time, Man Utd had three notable concerns about Pochettino, which made Ten Hag a more appealing candidate. Firstly, it was noted that the Red Devils feared Real Madrid would make a swoop for the then-Paris Saint-Germain boss at the last minute. They evidently felt safer with a clear run at Ten Hag, who was with Ajax.

Secondly, there was a simple matter of finances. It was more costly to try and prise the Argentine away from PSG than the Dutchman away from the Eredivisie side. Finally, the Old Trafford hierarchy were 'extremely impressed' in their meeting with Ten Hag, who set out clearly the steps to improve the club.

That third reason is quite interesting as Pochettino also met with the Red Devils during the manager search, but evidently didn't nail his job interview as well as Ten Hag. Despite that, according to The Athletic, the Argentine was said to be 'confident' of getting an offer, having already been courted for a number of years at that stage.

With that in mind, reports claim the coach was left 'shocked' when finding out that Man Utd had opted to hire his Dutch counterpart instead. It is also worth noting that the Man Utd squad preferred the appointment of Pochettino back in 2022.

Four years on, it looks as though the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and any other senior stars still on the books could finally get their wish.