Manchester United are reportedly on the verge of appointing Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach, a move that could cost the club more than £10.5m. The Argentine manager has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Michael Carrick, with United already engaged in discussions regarding personal terms and the financial implications of the appointment.
According to reports from TeamTalk, Pochettino has a release clause valued at approximately £7.5m (€9m). However, the total cost of the appointment is expected to exceed £10.5m (€12.5m) due to the compensation required to secure four members of his preferred backroom staff. The estimated release fees for these staff members amount to about £3m, a figure that is additional to the manager's own release clause.
The four staff members Pochettino intends to bring to Old Trafford include assistant coaches Jesus Perez and Miguel 'Miki' D'Agostino, goalkeeping coach Antonio 'Toni' Jiménez, and sports scientist Sebastiano Pochettino. Perez and D'Agostino have been part of Pochettino's coaching setup since 2009, having begun their partnership at Espanyol. Perez plays a key role in tactical preparation and training design, while D'Agostino, a former teammate of Pochettino at Newell's Old Boys, has maintained a long-standing association with the manager.
Jiménez, another former teammate from their time at Espanyol, is responsible for goalkeeper development, while Sebastiano Pochettino, the manager's eldest son, joined the team in 2016 during their spell at Tottenham. The sports scientist specialises in player conditioning, workload management, and injury prevention.
Pochettino is reported to have edged out other candidates considered by United, including Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, and former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. The club's decision to pursue the Argentine has also received the backing of former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who is reportedly keen to see him take charge at the club.
United are expected to move forward with the appointment once Carrick's departure is confirmed. The club is currently assessing the full financial scope of the deal, which includes both the release of Pochettino and the compensation for his trusted support staff.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
