What next for USMNT if Mauricio Pochettino takes Manchester United job?

It seems increasingly likely that Michael Carrick will soon be sacked, and the latest report is that Manchester United intend to hire USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino to replace him. Pochettino has frequently been linked with Man United — every six to 12 months when the job comes open — and it's not hard to see why: The once-great club is in desperate need of not only a long-term vision, but someone with a track record of executing it at Premier League level. He has also, somewhat surprisingly, proven himself as a perfectly capable international manager after taking over the United States national team less than two years before the 2026 World Cup and leading the Yanks to the round of 16 this summer. Pochettino's strengths as a coach are not always visible on the field of play, but behind the scenes where he builds teams that strongly resemble families and gets the most out of his players (particularly young ones) on a daily basis. If it sounds like he ticks all of the boxes that Manchester United (should) have on their list, it's because he does. PST’s Joe Prince-Wright makes the full case for Poch to United, here . So, what next for the USMNT if Pochettino goes to Man United? First things first, there is the not-so-small matter of U.S. Soccer being owed $10 million by any club that wishes to hire Pochettino (plus additional buy-outs for his coaching staff), which were undoubtedly negotiated by the federation with this very scenario in mind. Now, $10 million is hardly a prohibitive figure for a club of Man United's stature, but the fact that they could have hired him for free just a few months ago, and doing so now would cost eight figures upfront, further illustrates just how poorly the club has been run. This is an equally disastrous U-turn for the USMNT, though, with Pochettino launching a full-scale long-term rebuild during last month's international break. Teenagers with sky-high ceilings came into camp for the first time and virtually every one of them provided one (or two, or three) reasons to be excited for the future. What of that now? This was always the risk of hiring, and then re-signing, Pochettino to be USMNT head coach. Any competent club would have him at or near the top of their list. That's how the food chain works. "For us to have a manager who’s linked with those sorts of jobs means we’re very lucky," USMNT veteran and Fulham star Antonee Robinson said on Tuesday when asked about the possibility Pochettino could return to the PL. "We know that we’re working with a top-class manager." Who’s on the short list to replace Pochettino as USMNT boss? Steve Cherundolo — USMNT legend, the greatest right back in program history, spent his entire 16-year career playing for German club Hannover, where he also began his coaching career as first-team assistant; LAFC head coach from 2022-2025 with 54.2 win percentage; current U.S. under-23 head coach ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. B.J. Callaghan — Current Nashville SC head coach, winner of 2025 U.S. Open Cup, 2026 Supporters' Shield and runaway top seed ahead of this year's MLS Cup Playoffs (13 points better than the rest of the league); served as interim coach during the 2023 Gold Cup, which the USMNT won, at the end of Gregg Berhalter's first stint. Marcelo Bielsa — Pochettino's boyhood coach and lifelong mentor , recruiting him to join Newell's Old Boys as a teenager in 1990 before playing under him at Espanyol and for Argentina a decade-plus later; one of the most influential coaches in modern football, both for players and coaches who worked under him; stepped into the international game for the first time and coached Uruguay at the 2026 World Cup (did not advanced from group stage). Gareth Southgate — England manager for eight years from 2016-2024, leading the Three Lions to five major tournaments — 2018 World Cup (finished 4th), EURO 2020 (2nd), 2022 World Cup (quarterfinals), EURO 2024 (2nd), 2026 World Cup (3rd); has only managed internationally in the last 17 years (England under-21s and senior team). Julian Nagelsmann — Germany manager for three years from 2023-2026, leading Die Mannschaft to two major tournaments — EURO 2024 (quarterfinals) and 2026 World Cup (round of 32); previously managed Bayern Munich for a season and a half (one Bundesliga title) but was sacked late in his second season. Roberto Martinez — Portugal manager for three years from 2023-2026, including two major tournaments — EURO 2024 (quarterfinals) and 2026 World Cup (round of 16); previously managed Belgium for six years, including three major tournaments — 2018 World Cup (3rd), EURO 2020 (quarterfinals) and 2022 World Cup (group stage); has exclusively been an international manager for 10 years. Antonio Conte — Previous international management experience includes Italy for two years from 2014-2016, leading the Azzurri to EURO 2016 where they reached the quarterfinals.