Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the early favourite to take over as Manchester United manager if Michael Carrick is relieved of his duties, but the club could reportedly be forced to appoint a caretaker for their next match against Liverpool.
The former Tottenham boss, currently in charge of the United States national team, is believed to be the frontrunner to replace Carrick. Carrick's future will be decided at a crunch meeting in Monaco between Jason Wilcox, Omar Berrada and Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Wednesday morning.
Pochettino's Availability
If the decision is made to axe Carrick, it would leave United searching for their eighth permanent manager since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Pochettino appears to be the early favourite, but appointing him in time for the Liverpool game might be a struggle for the Red Devils.
He is currently preparing his United States team for their two-legged CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final against Haiti, with the second game taking place next Tuesday. That would leave United in a race against time to get Pochettino through the door before United face Liverpool five days later.
Caretaker Plan
If things don't progress quickly, a caretaker manager could be put in place for next weekend's game at Anfield, according to The Sun. Pochettino remains contracted to the United States until 2030 but could reportedly be bought out of his deal for around £7million. It would potentially cost millions more to recruit his backroom staff as well.
Reports have indicated that he is the preferred target of the Glazer family, who interviewed him twice before but opted to appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag instead. It's claimed that United's majority shareholders are determined not to "make the same mistake" by overlooking Pochettino for a third time.
Other Candidates
He is believed to be happy in his current role but would be open to speaking with the Red Devils, should they decide to approach him. Pochettino boasts a wealth of Premier League experience, having managed Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea before moving into international football.
Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte have also been linked with the United job, but The Athletic say that United aren't currently looking to pursue any of them. It leaves Pochettino as the standout candidate to succeed Carrick in the dugout if the 45-year-old is given his marching orders.
