Mauricio Pochettino reportedly open to a Manchester United move: Who could replace him at the USMNT?

The USMNT could soon be looking for a new head coach. Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly open to taking over at Manchester United, which is working on a potential deal to replace Michael Carrick, and the possibility has put an uncomfortable question on the table: who could lead the national team toward the 2030 World Cup if he leaves?

According to Fabrizio Romano, Pochettino wants the job, while United still has to make an official approach to U.S. Soccer, with a release clause of around $10 million expected to be triggered if everything goes to plan.

If he goes, several names are already in the conversation. Steve Cherundolo, the former USMNT captain and MLS Cup-winning coach hired in July to lead the Under-23 team toward the 2028 Olympics, is the main target, and The Athletic’s Tom Bogert noted that part of his appeal was precisely having someone who could be caretaker immediately, although he stressed it is not a formal succession plan.

B.J. Callaghan, 45, is also widely seen as a natural option, since he guided the team to the 2023 Concacaf Nations League title as interim coach and has since won the 2026 Supporters’ Shield with Nashville SC, setting a new MLS points record.

Timing, however, complicates everything. Cherundolo is leading a training camp with the Under-23s in Spain until Nov. 17, while Callaghan’s Nashville begins its MLS Cup run on Nov. 22, and the senior team faces Haiti in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal on Nov. 14 and 17.

U.S. Soccer could aim high in its next coaching search

If Pochettino leaves, U.S. Soccer could look beyond the obvious names. According to Bogert, the federation called Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp when it searched for a replacement for Gregg Berhalter, before landing on Pochettino, who was reportedly earning around $6 million in his last contract, one of the highest salaries in international soccer.

That ambition could return in a new search. The buyout, estimated at around $10 million plus a couple of million more for Pochettino’s assistants, would give the federation extra funds on top of the donor money that helped finance his contract, which is why Bogert is sure it would aim high.

Nothing is official yet, but the clock is ticking: reports indicate that United want a new manager in place for their next match, against Liverpool at Anfield on Nov. 22. For U.S. Soccer, that timeline leaves little room, since the national team faces Haiti on Nov. 14 and 17 while the question of who would take over if Pochettino leaves remains unanswered.