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Man Utd are expected to sack Michael Carrick over the next few hours/days, if multiple reports are to be believed.
Bookmakers have made Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann, Eddie Howe, Antonio Conte and Unai Emery the main contenders to replace him.
All have extensive experience, with Nagelsmann the only one who hasn’t reached over 600 games in management (the German has managed 352 matches).
So who has the highest win percentage out of the five candidates? Press the next page to find out…
Director of Football Jason Wilcox was seen as Howe’s main backer as he wanted to bring in someone with Premier League experience.
The 48-year-old was on sabbatical after deciding to leave Newcastle before the start of the season, but he was reportedly open to discussing the United job.
Based on reports over the last day or so, though, it doesn’t appear as if Howe is the front runner anymore.
However, Pochettino has subsequently signalled that he is interested in the Man Utd job, and it is believed there is a release clause in his new deal, which would allow him to leave for specific teams.
It’s likely that one of those is Manchester United, and he now seems like the favourite to succeed Carrick based on recent events.
Carrick’s job didn’t appear under immediate threat on Monday morning, but by the evening, he seemed poised to be sacked, and that suggests the club have found someone to replace him.
In fact, it appears Emery is closing in on signing an extension at Villa Park. His current deal with the Midlands club expires in 2029, so there isn’t an urgent need for a new deal.
However, Villa have clearly heard about the interest from the Red Devils, so they are doing everything they can to keep hold of the Spaniard.
Emery seems happy to stay based on the latest reports, so don’t expect him to be Carrick’s successor, unless there is a dramatic U-turn.
However, it has been claimed that Nagelsmann is not a front-runner, following background checks on his time at Bayern Munich.
The 39-year-old did win the title at the Allianz Arena, but he lost the dressing room midway through his second season, leading to his sacking.
Nagelsmann is, though, a highly regarded tactician, even if his man management skills do leave a bit to be desired.
From the looks of things, those representing Conte have made it clear to the Red Devils hierarchy that he would take the job.
However, the Italian has also said in a recent interview that he would need serious financial backing if he were to take another post in the Premier League.
It seems United will steer clear of Conte due to his high demands and combative personality,