Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is under immense pressure at Old Trafford and could well be fighting for his job.
A miserable start to the season has forced United to consider their options in the dugout but, according to the Daily Mail, there is significant discontent when it comes to these conversations, with key figures divided over the club’s next move.
Technical director Jason Wilcox, the target of Lisandro Martínez’s recent rant, is said to be at odds with recruitment chief Christopher Vivell, with the two influential figures pushing for different managers to be targeted in the event of Carrick’s departure, which in itself is still not a given.
United have drawn up a shortlist that reportedly stretches to six candidates, although there is an awareness that some are likely unattainable, further limiting the options to United if they decide to make a change.
Fabian Hürzeler
It was early on in United’s current slump that Fabian Hürzeler’s name was first mentioned in this conversation, and considering his electric start to the season with Brighton & Hove Albion, it is not hard to see why.
Some reports have gone as far as to name Hürzeler as United’s top target for the role, although the excitement is usually short-lived. Not only are there doubts as to whether he would take the job, but The Telegraph recently revealed it would take a “world-record fee” to convince the Seagulls to terminate Hürzeler’s contract.
A fee of around $29 million took Julian Nagelsmann to Bayern Munich in April 2021, so United would have to dig deep if they want Hürzeler. Optimism is, predictably, slim.
Antonio Conte
Just like Hüzeler, Antonio Conte was among the first names brought up as a potential replacement for Carrick. A handful of Italian outlets went hard early on, quickly describing him as the top target and suggesting talks over an agreement were already underway. Conte has publicly denied such contact at present, but generally open to considering his next move.
He is still widely accepted to be in the running. The former Napoli boss is said to be keen on the job and, unlike Hürzeler, is free to take over immediately, given he is currently unattached.
The Athletic point to potential concerns over Conte’s volatile management style and the prospect of high-profile issues, although many fans are hoping for somebody with his firm hand to come in and address any behind-the-scenes issues.
Kieran McKenna
Links to Kieran McKenna have been floating around for months without ever really going anywhere.
Touted as a candidate back in September, McKenna’s ties to United are similar to Carrick. He spent five years in various roles at Old Trafford, including as scout, U-18 manager and assistant to Ole Gunnar Solskjær in the same backroom staff as the current boss. He earned plenty of credit for his time with the first team and went on to catch the eye in his five-year stint with Ipswich Town.
McKenna has been out of work since the summer, having surprisingly quit Ipswich upon guiding the club back to the Premier League, and is another who could step in immediately. Just how interested United would be in replacing Carrick with a similarly inexperienced clubman is up for debate.
Eddie Howe
United have an uncomfortable history with Eddie Howe, who was pushed as a candidate by former sporting director Dan Ashworth when Erik ten Hag was fired in 2024. Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted Ruben Amorim instead and Ashworth was out of the door not long later.
It is now thought that Wilcox, who is leading the search for potential candidates, favors Howe and those with proven experience in the Premier League already. He is not alone in his admiration for Howe, who has been in the conversation for nearly every major job going for the best part of a decade after impressing with both Bournemouth and Newcastle United.
The gamble with Howe comes with the fact that he is yet to test himself at a club with the sort of pressure that comes with a move to Old Trafford. He has managed Newcastle in the Champions League, but the Man Utd monster is unlike any other in the English game. Is he ready?
Julian Nagelsmann
While Howe is yet to reach the very top level of management, Julian Nagelsmann knows all about it. He worked his way up from Hoffenheim to RB Leipzig and, eventually, Bayern Munich. That high-level experience is thought to be a decisive factor for United recruitment chief Vivell, who worked with Nagelsmann in Leipzig and has long searched for a reunion, including at former club Chelsea.
United looked at Nagelsmann in May, before Carrick was handed a permanent contract, and the links have recently resurfaced. Reports have named Nagelsmann as a “leading candidate” to replace Carrick, although it must be stressed that Vivell answers to Wilcox, not the other way around.
Still only 39 years old, Nagelsmann remains one of the most exciting young managers in the game, and his immediate availability, after resigning his Germany national team post, works in his favor.
Unai Emery
Amid the search for a manager with intimate experience of the English game, reports have offered up Aston Villa’s Unai Emery as a contender. Some have gone as far as to suggest he sits at the top of the wish list.
Emery is, however, in a similar boat to Hürzeler. Yes, his Premier League experience is excellent—he’s had four brilliant years with Villa and has twice led the team into the Champions League—but the finances involved could stop any deal in its tracks. He is under contract until 2029 and is another for whom the compensation fee would likely be record-breaking.
There are also concerns about the level of influence Emery would demand in a setup that favors the “head coach” moniker, rather than “manager.” Making this work would likely be too complicated.
Add us as a preferred source on Google