Sources: Man United contact U.S. Soccer over Poch; Carrick meeting Thursday

NEW: Manchester United have contacted U. S. Soccer ahead of triggering Mauricio Pochettino's $10 million release clause, closing on a deal to hire the USMNT manager and replace Michael Carrick, sources say.

Manchester United are about to pay ten million dollars to take America's coach.

Sources told ESPN the club has contacted U. S. Soccer ahead of triggering Mauricio Pochettino's release clause, and here's how Mark Ogden laid it out.

The man himself, in his USMNT colors, maybe not for much longer. His staff, including longtime assistant Jesus Perez, would cost United another two million on top.

The brutal part is Thursday. United executives meet Michael Carrick, and the expectation is he's gone. He signed a two year deal in May, and since then United have won exactly one league game, against newly promoted Ipswich, and they sit eighteenth in the table. Sir Jim Ratcliffe huddled with CEO Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox in Monaco on Wednesday to get the ducks in a row.

So seven months before a home World Cup, the United States may need a new national team manager. Timing is everything, and this is the worst of it.

This is Sara White, reporting for HIT.