OFFICIAL: Man Utd announce the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino

Manchester United have officially announced the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach following the sacking of Michael Carrick.

The Argentine has signed a two-and-a-half year contract at Old Trafford, valid until 2029, and he will take charge of his first match at the club against arch-rivals Liverpool after the November international break.

Pochettino has spent the past two years as the United States of America manager, and he guided them to the Round of 16 stage at this summer’s World Cup, before falling to a 4-1 defeat versus Belgium.

It’s understood that Man Utd have been required to trigger a release clause worth roughly €9 million included in Pochettino’s contract with the USMNT, but he was regarded as the best candidate on the market following the club’s decision to part ways with Carrick.

Carrick was only appointed on a permanent basis in May, following a hugely successful spell as interim boss last season, however he was fired on Thursday, with Man Utd languishing down in 18th place in the Premier League table.

The Red Devils have picked up just eight points from their opening 10 matches of the new English top flight season, with their sole victory coming against newly-promoted Ipswich Town in late August.

The likes of Unai Emery, Julian Nagelsmann, Eddie Howe and Antonio Conte were all linked with a move to Old Trafford amid rumours that Carrick would be sacked, however the club eventually opted to prioritise a deal for Pochettino.

The 54-year-old has significant Premier League experience under his belt, having managed Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, and he will officially link up with the Man Utd squad after the USA’s Nations League quarter-final second-leg clash against Haiti next Wednesday.

An official statement posted on the Man Utd club website read: “Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the Manchester United men’s head coach from 18 November.

“The club has reached an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation for Mauricio and his staff to be released after the conclusion of their responsibilities with the U.S. Men’s National Team.

“The Argentinian is renowned for his high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players.

“Pochettino has consistently performed at the highest level of football across multiple leagues. He began his coaching career with Espanyol in 2009 before joining Southampton and achieving a club-record Premier League points tally in 2014.

“During five full seasons at Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino established the club as regular UEFA Champions League contenders, securing qualification in four consecutive seasons and leading the club to its first final in the competition in 2019.

“In 2021, he joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France and the Trophée des Champions before joining Chelsea in 2023.

“Most recently he led the U.S. Men’s National Team to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup.”

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