Mauricio Pochettino 'set to become USMNT's new head coach THIS WEEK'

Mauricio Pochettino is prepared to officially become the new head coach of the United States Men's National Team this week, according to a report. 

After a verbal agreement weeks ago, the former Tottenham and Chelsea boss is set to put pen to paper on a contract with the USA later this week, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. 

All legal issues are in the process of being resolved and a contract is almost finalized with formal steps expected to follow shortly, the report adds. 

The Argentine has been out of work since he parted company with Chelsea at the end of last season. He had been linked with the vacant England manager role following the departure of Gareth Southgate in June.

His capture by the north American side, who fired former boss Gregg Berhalter after lackluster failure of a Copa America campaign in July, comes as a major coup.

Mauricio Pochettino is prepared to officially become the head coach of the USMNT this week

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The US are just two years away from co-hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1994. While the length of his deal has not yet been revealed,  he will be tasked with improving the fortunes of the side who have faltered in recent years head of their duties hosting in 2026.

Despite the appointment not yet being official, members of the USMNT have already welcomed the notion of Pochettino taking charge. 

'Honestly, when I saw the news, it was nice seeing that a manager like Pochettino, [who] coached a lot of top teams, that he agreed to coach for us,' AC Milan and US midfielder Yunus Musah said on CBS Sports' Morning Footy last month. 

'If he becomes our manager, I feel like he'll be able to help a lot. He is a manager that has worked with top players, he definitely has a lot of things to teach us.'

In summer, the US became the first Copa America host nation to fail to make it out of the group stages. The failure proved to be the final straw for Berhalter in his second spell in the role.

In his first spell in charge of the US, from December 2018 to December 2022, Berhalter won 61 percent of his 60 games in charge, but that win percentage dropped to 50 percent in his second tenure of just 11 months.

Berhalter's contract previously expired at the end of the World Cup in 2022, and he became embroiled in an off-field scandal involving his former team-mate Claudio Reyna.

Berhalter criticized Reyna's son Gio - a member of the US team at the World Cup - which led to his mother Danielle informing US Soccer chiefs of a 1992 domestic violence incident involving Berhalter and his then-girlfriend, now-wife.

That sparked a long investigation that kept Berhalter away from the team for six months, before he was officially reinstated for a second spell in charge.

US football chiefs ambitiously approached former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp for the role but their attempt was rebuffed by the German.

However, the signing of Pochettino is a real signal of intent, especially given his links to the Three Lions job.

Pochettino remains one of the most highly-regarded managers in world football, having had successful stints with Southampton, Spurs and PSG. His short stay in west London was tumultuous, though he managed to turn the side's fortunes around by the end of the campaign.

And his departure was surprising after he had guided the team to a sixth-place finish and European qualification.