Manchester United have sacked head coach Michael Carrick, with former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino verbally agreed to take charge at Old Trafford, according to Sky Sports News.

Carrick's dismissal comes fewer than six months after he signed a two-year contract extension in May 2026 — a reward for guiding United to a third-place Premier League finish and Champions League qualification. His time in charge has ended with the club in the relegation zone after a single win in 10 league matches, the worst top-flight start in United's history.

The decision ratified in Monaco

The formal decision to part ways with Carrick was confirmed at a summit in Monaco attended by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, following a recommendation from chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox. Carrick had taken a training session in Manchester on Wednesday while the discussions were taking place.

Pochettino is expected to fulfil his remaining coaching duties with the USA during their Nations League fixtures against Haiti this Saturday and Wednesday before beginning work at Old Trafford. Sky Sports News understands his current contract with the United Soccer Federation contains a £7 million release clause, and talks between United and the Federation are expected to accelerate in the coming days.

A turbulent final chapter

The end of Carrick's tenure was marked by mounting pressure. A 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League proved a turning point, with captain Bruno Fernandes publicly criticising the coaching staff and Carrick questioning his squad's commitment. Fernandes was subsequently dropped for a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth, a match that saw supporters boo the players off the pitch at full-time.

A 2-0 defeat at Chelsea — during which Lisandro Martinez received a red card and openly accused club hierarchy of failing to invest in the summer transfer window, specifically naming Wilcox — deepened the crisis. United did mount a dramatic 3-2 Champions League comeback win over Roma to end a nine-game winless run, and they scrapped back from 4-2 down to draw 4-4 with Aston Villa on Sunday. However, that effort was not sufficient to save Carrick's position.

Pochettino: third time lucky at Old Trafford

Pochettino has been considered for the United job on three previous occasions without success. The Argentine is now poised to become the club's eighth permanent head coach since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.

His predecessor, Carrick, initially joined United as head coach in January 2026 following the sacking of Ruben Amorim. The former midfielder won 12 of his first 17 matches, earning a third-place finish before signing a contract through 2028. This season, however, just three wins in 15 games have proved fatal to his tenure.

Neville's warning to United

Sky Sports' Gary Neville, speaking to NBC, cautioned that a change of manager alone would not resolve United's deeper structural problems.