Man Utd faces a big surprise with Eddie Howe as a major problem comes up if Michael Carrick is let go.
Eddie Howe is Manchester United’s top choice to take over if Michael Carrick leaves, but there might be a big hurdle ahead.
Many thought Carrick would be fired right after their tough 3-0 loss to Bournemouth on Sunday, but the club hasn’t made a move yet. Carrick was even seen arriving at Carrington on Monday (October 26) to watch the Man United U21 team play Hull City in a closed-door friendly match.
A decision about Carrick’s future is expected soon, after talks with sporting director Jason Wilcox and minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe. If Carrick is let go, Howe could be brought in quickly.
Sky Sports says Howe — who left Newcastle in July after more than four years — would be open to talks with Manchester United if the job opens up.
Howe, 48, stepped down because he felt tired and needed a break, despite his great success with Newcastle, including winning the Carabao Cup in 2025 and leading them to the Champions League twice.
His experience in the Premier League makes him a strong candidate compared to others like Julian Nagelsmann. However, even though Howe is technically a free agent, hiring him could still cost the club.
The Chronicle reports that United would need to pay a large fee to Newcastle because Howe had several years left on his contract. At Newcastle, he earned about £6 million a year, so getting him to Old Trafford wouldn’t be cheap.
This could be a major obstacle in signing Howe, which might lead the club to look at other possible managers.
Nagelsmann is another favorite to replace Carrick and wouldn’t require a compensation fee. Unai Emery from Aston Villa is also liked by the club, but they’d have to pay a huge £20 million to get him.
Manchester United wants to avoid big compensation fees after spending £97 million just on firing managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
The highest payout was the £19.6 million paid to José Mourinho in December 2018, just five months into his three-year contract.
If they decide to sack Carrick, United would have to pay him around £12 million. He signed a two-year deal in May worth about £6.5 million per year and has earned roughly £1.125 million so far.