Manchester United have sacked Michael Carrick after the club’s poor opening to the 2026/27 Premier League campaign, with Mauricio Pochettino emerging as the leading candidate to take over.
Goal.com reported on Thursday, 12 November, that Carrick had been dismissed with immediate effect, citing football journalist Fabrizio Romano. At the time of that report, an official club announcement was still pending. The outlet also reported that United had reached a verbal agreement in principle with Pochettino and were discussing his release from his United States national-team contract.
The change follows a sharp reversal from Carrick’s first months in charge. He returned to Old Trafford in January and helped United finish third last season, winning 12 of the final 17 league games, according to the club’s account of that campaign. This season, however, Goal reported that United had collected eight points from their first 10 league matches and sat third from bottom.
The result compounds a difficult period for a club that had hoped Carrick’s permanent appointment would restore stability. Sunday Express previously reported on the pressure building around United after their defeat to Chelsea and Lisandro Martínez’s red card. That earlier report is available here.
Pochettino has managed Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. He currently leads the United States team, so any move would require an agreement with its federation and the resolution of contractual terms. Goal reported that a release clause was involved; the precise terms and timing of any appointment remain subject to confirmation.
Source: Goal.com’s report on Carrick’s departure and Pochettino negotiations. Image: Getty Images / Calciomercato, via Goal.com.