England manager candidate Mauricio Pochettino wanted by rival national team

Mauricio Pochettino left Chelsea at the end of last season (Photo: Getty)

Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly a shock candidate to become USA manager amid links to replacing Gareth Southgate as England boss.

Southgate announced on Tuesday that he was leaving the Three Lions after eight years and 102 matches in charge which culminated in the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.

Plenty of names have been linked with succeeding him, with Pochettino considered one of the frontrunners alongside Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Lee Carsley.

The Argentine is out of work after departing Chelsea two months ago after just a single season in charge, where he guided the Blues to a sixth-place finish and the final of the League Cup.

He previously had good spells at Tottenham and PSG, and has said in the past that he would be interested in managing the England national team.

However, if the FA want to appoint Pochettino they may have to act fast as The Sun report that the USMNT are also very keen on his services, as they look to hire a ‘young, high profile manager who has experience working with world-class players’.

The United States sacked their previous head coach Gregg Berhalter after a disastrous Copa America where they crashed out in the group stage.

They need to get their next appointment right as they look ahead to hosting the 2026 World Cup and recently made an outlandish bid for Jurgen Klopp which was promptly rejected.

The former Liverpool boss has also reportedly ruled himself out of becoming England boss as he wants to take a full year off after departing Anfield this summer.

Another ex-Reds boss is also said to be in contention for the USA job, namely Rafael Benitez who has contacted the United States Soccer Federation over the role.

As one of the most well-regarded managers in the world, it is no surprise to see Pochettino linked with multiple high-profile jobs and his chances of taking over the Three Lions have not been harmed by being a foreign manager.

While there is desire from some to appoint an Englishman, the FA have no issue over hiring an overseas coach, with Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel and even Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman also on their shortlist.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.