Eddie Howe is the man believed to be the preferred next Manchester United manager, with one main reason he’s looked upon so favourably revealed.

It is believed Michael Carrick has managed his last game for United. The club’s fans sang to him after the 3-0 loss to Bournemouth on Sunday, in a sense that they know he’s not the problem.

But with no wins in the past month and United 16th in the Premier League, the sacking would not feel harsh.

Our friends at TEAMtalk have revealed that the club’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, has briefed the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe on the prevailing situation at Old Trafford, believed to be the departure of Carrick.

The feeling is that United could have a new permanent manager in the dugout when they face Chelsea on Saturday, and former Newcastle boss Howe heads the list.

That he is currently unattached, having left the Magpies in the summer, is one of the significant attractions which makes him the preference at United.

Indeed, not needing to negotiate a release from a contract is ideal for the club, particularly given they’ve had to pay good sums of money to pay off previous managers who have been sacked with years left on their respective deals.

While Howe is an established Premier League manager, who led Newcastle to fourth in 2022/23, he is not the only man being eyed at Old Trafford.

Julian Nagelsmann on the United radar

Per the report, former Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann is in the frame, and he himself is keen on a move to manage in English football.

Nagelsmann has never managed outside of his native Germany, but has often been linked with jobs in England.

It’s believed he was previously close to heading to Chelsea, while United director of recruitment Christopher Vivell is a fan of his.

Nagelsmann has previous with taking big jobs – he was Bayern Munich manager between 2021 and 2023, before taking the Germany job from 2023-2026.

In 2021/22, the 39-year-old led Bayern to the Bundesliga title by eight points.

The following year, with the side once again in a strong position, he was sacked, with it reported he had a propensity for antagonising key members of the dressing room.

Whether that would be a problem for him at United remains to be seen, but there have been instances of players coming out against the club of late, with Lisandro Martinez hitting out at recruitment, and Bruno Fernandes at the management.