Who will become the next man to lead Manchester United in the dugout? Well, it looks like it will not be Mauricio Pochettino, this much we know. According to multiple reports, including Goal and ESPN UK, Paris Saint-Germain rejected United’s enquiry into their current manager.
We had seen earlier reports indicating that Pochettino himself was interested in the job, but PSG will not let him go at this time.
Manchester United have held talks with Ernesto Valverde, after having an initial enquiry over Mauricio Pochettino knocked back ? pic.twitter.com/vrDwan194u
— GOAL (@goal) November 24, 2021
ESPN FC report that United “are open to appointing Pochettino now if a deal can be struck but intermediaries tasked with assessing the 49-year-old’s situation at PSG have reported back that the French side are, for now, unwilling to talk.”
Pochettino was definitely on the short list of United managerial candidates, right at the top actually, but the Valverde idea is certainly a bit surprising. Italian journalist and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano also confirmed that Poch is out of the running, and Valverde is in.
Manchester United board had a direct contact with former Barça manager Ernesto Valverde today, as per @JamieJackson___ ? #MUFC
No decision made yet – he’s one of the five candidates in the list in case Mauricio Pochettino won’t be allowed to leave Paris Saint-Germain.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 23, 2021
Other potential candidates for the gig include former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane and current Ajax manager Erik ten Hag. It is not clear, at this time, what the timeline is for getting the new manage in place.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was only let go this past Sunday, and Michael Carrick is in charge for now on an interim basis. Solskjaer exemplified class in the way that he exited.
Meanwhile Carrick led United to a 2-0 win over Villarreal in his first match last night. The win saw United through to the UEFA Champions League knockout round.
Up next is a blockbuster fixture against league leaders Chelsea on Sunday.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.