Manchester United pay $10m to poach USMNT boss Pochettino

Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino is set to leave his role as USMNT head coach and take over at Manchester United. Manchester United have triggered a $10 million release clause with the US Soccer Federation and will add roughly $2 million to cover his backroom staff. The Argentine is expected to remain in charge of the United States for their double‑header with Haiti during the international break.

Why United turned to Pochettino

United dismissed Michael Carrick on Thursday after a run that yielded only one win from ten Premier League matches, leaving the club in the relegation zone. The board moved swiftly to replace him, targeting a manager with extensive Premier League experience. Pochettino, who previously guided Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint‑Germain, fits that brief. Now United look to the future under Pochettino.

United have courted Pochettino for some time and view him as capable of building something special, reminiscent of his spell at Tottenham. His reputation for instilling a strong culture and demanding high standards aligns with the club’s desire to revive its fortunes. At Chelsea he managed only one win from his first six league games, a pattern repeated at Southampton and Espanyol, while his tenure at Tottenham produced two wins and two draws in a similar early stretch. He fared better at Paris Saint‑Germain, winning four of his first six Ligue 1 matches after taking the job mid‑season.

Pochettino’s first test is likely a trip to Liverpool on Sunday, followed by a Champions League away tie against Sporting Lisbon and league games against Brentford, Newcastle, Coventry City and RB Leipzig. United’s condensed league table means a single victory could lift the Red Devils into mid‑table, while consecutive wins might propel them into the top half.

What the move means for USMNT

US Soccer CEO JT Batson told in April that the federation has a regular succession‑planning process for key roles and is ready for any eventuality, whether a CFO or head coach. Even before the 2026 World Cup the federation expressed confidence it could eventually replace Pochettino. Over his two‑year tenure, programme mainstays praised how he reshaped the team’s culture after Gregg Berhalter’s six‑year spell. His half‑cycle term has altered expectations of the ideal USMNT coach profile, an expensive evolution the board cannot ignore as the United States look ahead to the 2030 World Cup cycle.

Fans have already floated names such as Pep Guardiola, the only unemployed manager who would be seen as an upgrade, and Antonio Conte as possible successors. Other experienced internationals like Rudi Garcia, Sebastián Beccacece and Diego Alonso have also been mentioned, though Concacaf’s lower global standing may deter them. Historically the USMNT have favoured domestic coaches, with Bruce Arena, Bob Bradley and Gregg Berhalter all coming from the American league system.

Jesse Marsch, Canada’s head coach, made clear in July that he will never take the US job, while Pellegrino Matarazzo, now at Real Sociedad, remains a leading American candidate after winning the Copa del Rey last spring.

Fitness test to reshape United

United’s recent statistics place them near the bottom of the league’s running metrics, and doubts linger over the fitness of summer signings Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. Pochettino is expected to introduce his notorious ‘Gacon test’, an intermittent shuttle run where each stage must be completed in 45 seconds while the distance increases. Completing the full protocol requires covering 5 000 metres over 25 stages, a challenge few players have ever met.

United hope the rigorous regime will lift player stamina and improve results, while the United States will lose Pochettino after the Haiti fixtures but retain the succession plan outlined by Batson. The move therefore represents a pivotal moment for both clubs, with Manchester United banking on a cultural overhaul and US Soccer preparing for the next managerial chapter.