The US Men’s National Team just can’t seem to catch a break. It wasn’t long ago they struggled to find a replacement for Gregg Berhalter. Though the search ended with Mauricio Pochettino, the excitement of his arrival is now overshadowed by yet another hurdle. The Argentine’s debut is uncertain as unresolved issues with his former club Chelsea have caused a delay.

Though fans are eager to see their new coach in action, they may have to twiddle their thumbs a little longer as the Premier League side continues to hold up the process. This comes from the Athletic writer Felipe Cárdenas, who claims that U.S. Soccer continues to work on finalizing the deal for the former Tottenham boss.

Pochettino was apparently touted to officially join the USMNT in Kansas City for their upcoming September friendlies against Canada. But his contract situation with Chelsea remains unresolved, specifically regarding his severance package. The Blues owe the 52-year-old a whopping $13.2 million as the ex-Southampton man left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent after the Tod Boehly-led club decided to pull the plug on his term, despite having one year left on his contract.

This makes him eligible to get his entitled sum. Nonetheless, Chelsea is in no hurry to give their former manager his payday, which puts the USMNT and Poch in an awkward position. Of course, the USSF wants the situation to be resolved ASAP. Whether the former PSG manager coaches his first match against Canada has not been determined. Otherwise, they would be forced to head to next month’s September friendlies with ex-USMNT U20 coach Mikey Varas.

He will reportedly take on the interim duties for the Canada game on September 7th, as well as the New Zealand clash on September 10th until Pochettino arrives. On the other hand, if there are no further delays in finalizing his contract with the USMNT, Pochettino is expected to be present and actively involved with the team for both friendlies.

Regardless, the concluding note remains that discussions between U.S. Soccer, Pochettino, and Chelsea constantly remain positive. In the meantime, let’s look at how much severance package the new USMNT manager is in for.  

How much Mauricio Pochettino will be earning as USMNT manager?

“Money is not an issue. USSF can make it happen,” said USMNT insider and renowned journalist Jeff Carlisle earlier. Hence, it’s only logical that the USSF must have paid a price to bring a big-name manager like Mauricio Pochettino. Though the exact number isn’t determined, the former Blues boss will surely pocket more than Gregg Berhalter’s $2.2M per annum paycheck.

Although these figures don’t compare to Mauricio Pochettino’s previous $13.2M annual salary at Chelsea, it remains to be seen whether the USMNT—whose coaching expenditures have never exceeded $3.2M—will allocate such a large sum for the Argentine. Additionally, US Soccer’s equal pay policy raises questions about the USSF’s ability to afford the former Spurs manager.

USWNT coach Emma Hayes receives $2M per season. Nevertheless, the USMNT is expected to significantly increase the budget for their new Argentine head coach. For now, they shall focus on negotiating with Chelsea over the fee they owe to their future manager.