Pochettino's Initial Demands

Mauricio Pochettino has reached a preliminary agreement with the management of Manchester United to become their new head coach in place of Michael Carrick, making his arrival conditional on the signing of two priority reinforcements for the winter transfer market: a center-back and a striker.

The operation depends on the payment of his release clause of 10 million dollars to the United States Soccer Federation (US Soccer), with which he maintains an active contract following his recent renewal until the 2030 World Cup.

The foundation of Lisandro Martínez and a hierarchical center-back

The sports restructuring proposed by the Argentine coach places the defense at the center of the project. With the team immersed in the relegation zone after recording just one victory in the first ten matchdays of the Premier League —the worst league start for the club in four decades—, Pochettino has requested the management to bring in immediate guarantees for the defensive line.

The top priority for the Santa Fe strategist is to establish Lisandro Martínez as a foundational player, whom he will personally try to convince to renew his long-term contract and assume leadership of the defense alongside the new center-back that the technical staff finalizes in January.

Folarin Balogun: the solution to the serious injury of Benjamin Šeško

On the offensive front, the need to sign a player responds to the long-term injury of Slovenian striker Benjamin Šeško. In light of the lack of alternatives in the area, Pochettino has formally indicated the name of Folarin Balogun, a forward he knows and has directly coached during his tenure with the U.S. national team.

The forward from AS Monaco fits the tactical demands of high pressing, movement into space, and offensive aggression that the coach aims to implement at Old Trafford to reverse the current trend of results in the domestic league.

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While the United board manages the bank transfer of the 10 million dollars with the American leaders, Pochettino remains focused on preparing the U.S. national team for the quarter-finals of the Concacaf Nations League against Haiti. The representatives of Manchester United will accelerate the federative procedures and contact the environment of Folarin Balogun in the coming weeks.

Once the disassociation from US Soccer is formalized, Mauricio Pochettino will take charge at Old Trafford to lead the restructuring with the demanded center-back and the American striker in early 2027.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Las primeras exigencias de Pochettino