Michael Carrick's grip on the Manchester United coaching job is weaker than ever. Results are sliding, the club are drifting towards the danger zone, and the Red Devils' hierarchy have begun hunting for a successor. Mauricio Pochettino, the current head coach of the United States national team, tops the list, despite the hefty financial cost such a deal would carry.
French website "Foot Mercato" report that United's management are weighing up a move to part with Carrick during the international break. The numbers make grim reading. Two wins in their last 10 Premier League games, even after that thrilling 4-4 draw against Aston Villa.
Carrick took charge last January, stepping in for Portugal's Ruben Amorim, before landing a two-year contract in May on the back of a third-place finish and Champions League qualification. The slump since has dragged his future back into doubt.
He insisted he wasn't thinking of resigning after the Villa draw. Yet British newspaper the "Daily Mail" claim United's management want the managerial question settled before the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on 22 November.
Pochettino leads the shortlist of replacements. His experience in English football counts heavily in his favour, having coached Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea.
Tied to the United States national team though he is, the Argentine has a clause allowing him to leave for more than 8 million euros, the fee United would need to stump up for his services.
Britain's "BBC" report that Pochettino is open to taking the United job despite recently extending his deal with the United States, with the contractual clause permitting an exit should a suitable offer arrive.
Pochettino isn't the only name in the frame. Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte are both being talked up, while Eddie Howe was linked earlier, only for reports to suggest he has knocked back the idea of managing the Red Devils.
For all the options, Pochettino sits closest to United's thinking. Sealing the deal, though, hinges on the club untangling the Argentine from his United States commitments and footing the bill.