There’s a ‘growing level of support’ for Julian Nagelsmann to replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United as the not insignificant cost of appointing Eddie Howe has been revealed.

Carrick was back at Carrington on Monday on the back of his side’s 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth but he’s widely expected to be given his marching orders by the club bosses after what was his sixth defeat in 12 games this season.

After driving the club back into the Champions League while in interim charge last term, Carrick’s only victories as manager this season have come over European minnows Sabah and newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

The Red Devils chiefs are currently considering who they might bring in to replace Carrick at the helm and a report over the weekend claimed ex-Newcastle United boss Howe is director of football Jason Wilcox’s ‘preferred candidate’.

It was claimed that Wilcox favours Howe because of his ‘extensive Premier League experience’, while Nagelsmann is ‘highly regarded’ by head of recruitment Christopher Vivell.

Wilcox is set to have the final say because ‘his view may hold more sway’ with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

But a report from The Telegraph may put a spanner in the works as it’s claimed Man Utd ‘would have to fork out up to £6m in compensation’ to land Howe.

The report adds:

‘The 48-year-old had a number of years left on his contract with Newcastle when he stepped down in July and it is thought the Tyneside club factored in a degree of protection in the event that he ended up at a rival in the months that followed. It is believed the compensation figure could be as much as £6m.’

And that news comes amid the revelation from The Times that there is a ‘growing level of support for Julian Nagelsmann’, who’s the second favourite to take over at Old Trafford.

‘Dead man walking’

Gary Neville admits Carrick is a “dead man walking” put pinned the blame for the Man Utd mess on Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada.

“The fans have turned on Jason Wilcox in the second half,” he said on Sky Sports. “Jason Wilcox shouldn’t be in the position. He’s a technical director who has had an academy director background, making the journey up beneath a sporting director and all of a sudden he’s making the biggest decisions at one of the biggest football clubs in the world. He’s been thrust into a position ahead of his time.

“Omar Berrada is someone who has not been in a CEO position before in a football club. There’s a lack of experience generally in the roles they’ve got and it’s all coming home to roost again.

“Michael Carrick, they’re probably going to sack him in the next two hours, 12 hours, 24 hours. The rumours coming out on Thursday or Friday were that Wilcox and [Christopher] Vivell are torn over whether it’ll be Eddie Howe or Julian Nagelsmann and they’ve spoken to these two managers.

“So Michael Carrick’s a dead man walking already. He’s coming into his press conference on Friday, doing a five-minute monologue, which is effectively just the club history, the players who’ve played for the club, the managers who have represented the club. That’s the end.”