Here are the managers who have turned down the Man Utd job in the past 12 months, including Fabian Hurzeler.
Several well-known managers have been linked with the Manchester United job lately, but many have stayed away from one of the toughest roles in world football. Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, managing at Old Trafford has felt like a tricky challenge.
Since Ferguson left in 2013, United have hired 10 managers, both permanent and temporary. The current boss, Michael Carrick, is now under growing pressure. Carrick guided the team into Champions League football last season during his time as interim manager, which many saw as a success. He was made permanent manager in May.
However, after a quiet transfer window that didn’t fix the team’s problems, Carrick is now facing doubts due to a disappointing seven-game streak without a win. With his future uncertain, several managers have been linked to the job, including Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler. According to talkSPORT, Hurzeler is one of the names liked if Carrick leaves, but the German coach isn’t interested in moving from Brighton to United.
Other big names mentioned are Julian Nagelsmann, Eddie Howe, and Antonio Conte. Hurzeler isn’t the only coach to turn down the United role recently. In January, United reportedly contacted Simone Inzaghi, who is now coaching Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, but he said no, according to Tuttosport.
Cesc Fabregas is also admired by people at United but has previously said no to joining. Fabrizio Romano shared on his YouTube channel that before Carrick was appointed, United considered Fabregas. He explained, “Fabregas was really appreciated by Man United, but he’s fully committed to the Como project and loves it, so he wasn’t going to leave in summer 2026.”
Roberto De Zerbi also brushed off a possible move to United in January while he was at Marseille.
BBC Sport reports that Michael Carrick will stay in charge for Sunday’s Premier League game against Bournemouth at Old Trafford. Some senior people at United feel Carrick has been let down by players who aren’t performing well and believe that constantly changing managers hasn’t brought stability or long-term success. There is also some recognition of the progress made last season under Carrick, but that hasn’t carried over to this season.
Importantly, United have already started looking for possible replacements just in case Carrick leaves.