Manchester United look set to sack Michael Carrick and controversial co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe appears to have found his man to replace him

Michael Carrick's time as Manchester United manager appears to be drawing to a close after a dismal start to the season that has left the Red Devils hovering above the relegation zone. A humiliating 3-0 hammering by Bournemouth has left the fallen giants without a win in eight games.

Controversial co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his firm INEOS are in charge of football operations at Old Trafford and now have the task of identifying yet another manager. The billionaire tax exile has already sacked Erik ten Hag and hired and fired Ruben Amorim during his ill-fated reign at the club since February 2024, which has been dominated by cost-cutting measures, ticket price increases and failure on the pitch.

Carrick appeared to buck that trend when he led United to a third placed finish last season and back into the Champions League. But the club legend has since struggled to maintain that form, as some of his players have spoken out publicly against club chiefs and his tactics, and now the former United and England midfielder appears to be heading for the exit door. Here's all the latest news from Old Trafford.

Make sure you never miss the most fun content in sport by making the Daily Star one of your Google preferred sources.

Eddie Howe earns Ratcliffe's backing

INEOS chief Ratcliffe is reportedly throwing his weight behind Eddie Howe as his preferred choice to take the helm.

This comes despite Howe's stated intention to "take a break" from football following his departure from Newcastle in the summer, reports the Mirror.

According to The i Paper, United's part-owner is keen to install an English manager at the club. This is backed up by Ratcliffe's previous efforts to bring ex-England boss Gareth Southgate to Old Trafford, suggesting a clear preference for homegrown managerial talent.

Reports suggest there's currently a split among United's board members over who should take the reins if Carrick is sacked. Director of football Jason Wilcox is said to favour Howe, while head of recruitment Christopher Vivell is keen on reuniting with former Germany and Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann.

It appears Ratcliffe is inclined to back Wilcox's choice. That said, some supporters are questioning Wilcox's future at the club following Lisandro Martinez's recent outburst, in which he criticised the director for inadequate summer recruitment.

Howe to insist on coaching staff

Howe's availability as a free agent makes him an appealing option, particularly as he wouldn't require compensation.

His track record at Newcastle is impressive, most notably delivering the club's first major silverware in seven decades, although questions remain over whether he'd enjoy the same financial backing at United as he did on Tyneside.

One possible condition for Howe accepting the Old Trafford position would be bringing his own coaching staff along. The 48-year-old has consistently shown unwavering loyalty to his trusted team and has previously rejected opportunities over this very issue.

Howe was linked with the Celtic post in 2021, when he insisted on appointing his own backroom staff. Ultimately, Celtic's unwillingness to agree to those terms led to the proposed appointment falling through.

"I felt that if I was to come into a pressured job like [Celtic], I needed to go in with a sense of stability," he told The Athletic in 2022.

"I could have recruited new staff, but then you're working each other out and there's a transition process where it probably takes three, four, five months. That's five months too late. I needed my staff with me and we couldn't get them together."

Howe's ex-Newcastle assistant, Jason Tindall, has built quite a name for himself as an animated presence on Premier League touchlines. Tindall had previously served alongside Howe at Bournemouth before linking up again at St. James' Park five years back.

Other established members of Howe's backroom team at Newcastle include Graeme Jones, Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone.