Manchester United will go all out to appoint Mauricio Pochettino if they sack Michael Carrick, The Athletic reported on Wednesday morning. They have already reached a personal agreement with the Argentine manager.
Carrick has held the permanent job at Old Trafford since the start of this season. Last season, he guided the club to an impressive third place in the Premier League as interim manager.
This season, the club are 18th in the Premier League, below the relegation line. They are 17th out of 36 in the Champions League.
After a painful 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, the club gave the British manager three matches to turn things around. The first ended in a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.
Manchester United then overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat AS Roma 3-2 in the Champions League. Last weekend, Carrick's side came from behind twice to draw 4-4 with Aston Villa.
Those results are not enough for the club's leadership, who are set to sack Carrick soon. Pochettino will succeed him, with his release from the United States national team the only remaining hurdle.
Securing his release should be a formality for the Manchester club. Pochettino is under contract with the US federation until mid-2030, but has a release clause of around €9 million.
Pochettino, the former manager of Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, is eager to take charge at Old Trafford. He is said to have been a fan of the club all his life.