With Manchester United set to hire Mauricio Pochettino, what other managers are available?

Once another big club makes a move for a new manager, who might be available?

Nov 12, 2026 at 10:48 am ET • 3 min read

Manchester United have decided to make a managerial change during the November international break and sacked Michael Carrick after a challenging start to the season. The Red Devils have reportedly decided to hire Mauricio Pochettino, who led the United States men's national team at the 2026 World Cup and just signed a new deal with the American federation. However, Pochettino had a $10 million release clause in his contract and spoke multiple times about his desire to go back to the English Premier League, after coaching Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea before making his move to the U.S.

Manchester United have also explored multiple options in the past weeks, and several names emerged as potential candidates for the job. Let's take a look at the top free-agent coaches currently available on the market and identify those who remain open to a move in the near future. For this specific reason we have decided to not include former Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola, who is not looking for a job in the short term. 

The Spanish coach left Manchester City ahead of the summer of 2026 and decided to take a break from the world of soccer, despite having a concrete offer in the summer to become the new manager of the Italian national team. Guardiola sat down with the Italian federation but then opted to stick to his commitment to take a break. Furthermore, given his close ties to the Manchester City hierarchy and ownership, his name was never going to be considered by the Manchester United board. Here's a list of the top coaches without a job right now: 

5) Gareth Southgate 

The former England national team manager is still searching for his next club after deciding to step down from his international role in order to return to club management. However, he appears unlikely to find a new position in the short term. This is a challenge currently facing several national team coaches, including former France manager Didier Deschamps. Manchester United had previously shown interest in him, but did not make a concrete approach in recent weeks, despite having the opportunity to do so.

4) Thomas Frank 

The former Tottenham manager was one of the names that emerged in the past weeks for the Man United job. However, the former Brentford and Spurs manager is now in talks to become the new Crystal Palace manager after a disappointing start to the Premier League season, as the Eagles are currently at the bottom of the standings, two points behind Manchester United. 

3) Eddie Howe

The former Newcastle head coach was one of the names on the list of the Manchester United board of directors in recent weeks. The English head coach left Newcastle in the summer and he's still under contract with the club right now. Any club looking to appoint him would first have to pay a release clause to Newcastle. Despite his Premier League experience, Manchester United did not consider him as a potential replacement. He is now likely to wait until the summer before deciding on his next career move.

2) Julian Nagelsmann

An attractive name: the former German national team coach left his job in the summer after the disappointment of the 2026 World Cup, when Germany were kicked out by Paraguay in the round of 32 of the tournament. Nagelsmann, after coaching RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich before moving to the national team, is now likely to move to another league, and the Premier League is definitely a league that can potentially attract him. Let's now see if there will be a job available in the summer, even if the big clubs seem pretty stable at this stage. 

1) Antonio Conte 

The Italian coach is waiting for the right opportunity to come after the two years spent at Napoli, where he was able to win the Scudetto in his first season in charge, replicating the success he had at Juventus and Inter in his home country. According to reports, Conte would be keen for another Premier League experience after coaching Chelsea and Tottenham but he's not ruling out other clubs. However, Manchester United never made contact with his camp as they didn't want to hire the Italian manager to replace Carrick. Conte has often been regarded as a short-term appointment, having never spent more than three years at any single club throughout his managerial career.