The first players Mauricio Pochettino could sign as Manchester United manager

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Manchester United are set for a new face in the dugout... how much of the squad will also change?

Mauricio Pochettino looks set to become the next Manchester United manager, with Michael Carrick finally set to be given the chop at Old Trafford.

But Pochettino will run into an immediate problem: the squad is not capable of playing his high-pressing brand of football.

The answer? The transfer market. Pochettino will likely require a complete overhaul, starting in the January window. Man Utd have attempted to refresh different areas of the squad over the last two summers, spending hundreds of millions on the attack in 2025 before replacing the midfield during the summer just gone.

The defence is crying out for investment, quite literally in the case of Lisando Martinez, who attacked Man Utd’s hierarchy over a failure to recruit properly during the summer.

Man Utd require new full-backs, frequently playing right-backs on the left and then requiring a centre-half to fill in on the right.

Swashbuckling Antonee Robinson has become a trusted lieutenant for Pochettino in the US national team. The Fulham left-back is in his prime at 29, and would bring proven Premier League quality and knowledge of Pochettino’s approach.

Another American could help Pochettino improve Manchester United’s defence. Alex Freeman was handed an international debut by the Argentine in 2025, and has already racked up 26 caps. The defender has also been tracked by the Red Devils previously.

His displays for the USMNT and in the MLS for Orlando City led Freeman to join La Liga outfit Villarreal in January, helping El Submarino Amarillo qualify for the Champions League.

Under Inigo Perez - who, like Pochettino, is a disciple of Marcelo Bielsa - Freeman has proven he can play high-intensity football in a host of positions. A natural right-back, Freeman has played as both a full-back and wing-back on either flank, the wide center-back in a three-man defence, and has even been deployed further up the pitch as a winger.

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