Manchester United, 18th, line up Pochettino if Carrick is sacked, Sky Sports reports

Manchester United have an agreement in principle for USA coach Mauricio Pochettino to replace Michael Carrick if he is sacked, Sky Sports reported Wednesday, as executives met in Monaco to decide Carrick's future.

Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are expected to advise Sir Jim Ratcliffe to remove Carrick at the meeting. Ratcliffe, a minority owner, oversees United's football operations.

United sit 18th in the Premier League relegation zone, their lowest top-flight position at this point of a season since 1986-87. They have won one of their first 10 league matches.

Whether Carrick will be sacked, and when any announcement might come, were not immediately clear. Club sources told ESPN on Tuesday that no final decision had been made.

Carrick, 45, was photographed arriving Wednesday at the Carrington training base to lead a session for those players not away on international duty.

United executives and Carrick's camp expect a Wednesday board meeting to ratify his sacking, The Guardian reported. The Guardian said representatives of the majority-owning Glazer family will attend, and that players increasingly expect Pochettino to replace Carrick.

One source told BBC Sport that an agreement on Pochettino's terms was nearly complete. He is prepared to accept a formal offer after Carrick's future is settled, but wants to respect the US Soccer Federation and await an official approach.

Pochettino's US contract runs through the 2030 World Cup, and he is due to coach against Haiti in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal. The tie begins Saturday in Miami, with the return in Cincinnati. If United proceed, the club can determine whether he remains with the team for those games.

The BBC and The Guardian estimate that releasing Pochettino from his US contract would cost roughly £7.5m ($10m), whereas Sky Sports puts the clause at £7m. The Guardian said compensation would increase if he takes staff, including Jesús Pérez, his assistant for 16 years.

United have approached Pochettino about the job previously, most recently after Erik ten Hag was sacked in 2024. Earlier this year, Pochettino told FourFourTwo, "United have always shown interest. But the ideal scenario to manage there has never quite materialised."

Former United player Rio Ferdinand wrote on X that "the club need to come out and speak" and asked, "How have they got to this point in moving forward with Poch?"

The club need to come out and speak…
There needs to be open dialogue. How have we got to this point?
Talk about their way of working…
How Carrick is being treated?
How have they got to this point in moving forward with Poch?

Will record shortly my thoughts 💭

— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) November 11, 2026

United return from the international break with a match at Liverpool on Nov. 22.