According to British newspaper The Times, Mauricio Pochettino is eager to take charge of Manchester United, but the club would have to pay approximately £7.5 million in compensation to secure his appointment.

If Michael Carrick is dismissed, Pochettino is keen to take over at Old Trafford and is currently one of the leading candidates for the position. Should Sir Jim Ratcliffe approve the decision to sack Carrick on Wednesday, the Manchester United managerial position would become vacant.

The 54-year-old Pochettino, who previously managed Tottenham Hotspur and currently coaches the United States national team, signed a contract with the US Soccer Federation that runs until 2030 following the World Cup. As a result, United would need to pay around £7.5 million in compensation to bring him to Old Trafford.

Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox flew to Monaco on Tuesday to attend INEOS's half-yearly meeting. They are expected to recommend that Carrick be relieved of his duties.

If United appoint Pochettino, combined with the cost of dismissing Carrick, the club's total spending on hiring and sacking managers since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013 would exceed £100 million.

After taking Monday off as scheduled, Carrick returned to Manchester United's training ground on Tuesday. The 45-year-old arrived at Carrington at 7:15 a.m. and oversaw the day's training session as the team began preparations for next Sunday's away fixture against Liverpool.

With most first-team players having joined their respective national teams, the current training group consists mainly of Under-21 players. The club insists that no final decision has been made, with one option being to strengthen Carrick's coaching staff. However, other sources suggest that an announcement regarding his departure could be made later this week.

Berrada and Wilcox held a meeting on Monday and reportedly concluded that Carrick and his assistant Steve Holland appeared incapable of reversing the team's decline or leading them out of the relegation zone. This was particularly concerning following Carrick's public disagreement with captain Bruno Fernandes. Any dismissal would still require Ratcliffe's approval, and the club intends to hold face-to-face discussions with Carrick, meaning an official announcement could be delayed until Thursday.

The club had initially hoped Carrick could help the players recover from their disappointing start to the season. Following a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, supporters turned their anger towards the board and booed the players as they left the pitch. At the time, senior club figures indicated that the former England international would be given more time to improve the team's situation.

However, United subsequently lost to Chelsea and drew with Aston Villa, results that pushed them into the relegation zone. They have managed just one Premier League victory so far this season. Although the team showed resilience by coming from two goals behind twice to rescue a draw against Villa, and had also overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat Roma in a Champions League match at Old Trafford just five days earlier, those encouraging signs appear to have come too late to save Carrick's position.