Michael Carrick's time leading Manchester United may be nearing an end as the team sits in the relegation zone and fans near a breaking point – despite the unanimous respect for a man who made more than 300 appearances for the club.
In recent days United has been heavily linked to U.S. men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino
– who previously coached Tottenham and Chelsea in England – and has been open about his desire to eventually return.Carrick was United's seventh permanent manager in 13 years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, also the last time that the Red Devils won a league title. While the results haven’t been there since the Ferguson glory days, United remains one of the biggest brands in global soccer.
Pochettino appears
to be the favorite as of mid-day Wednesday, Nov. 11, but here's a look at some other potential replacements should the USMNT boss not end taking the United job:
Fabian Hürzeler
The youngest permanent Premier League manager in history, Hürzeler hit the ground running in England two years ago and has kept Brighton among the league's most consistent and aggressive sides, causing fits for bigger clubs. Would he leave the South Coast in the middle of a season? And will better jobs open up if he were to wait?
Julian Nagelsmann
The victim of impossibly high standards, Nagelsmann's last club job was with Bayern Munich. There, he won a Bundesliga title in his first year and then was fired his second season as Bayern's 11-year championship run came to an end. Nagelsmann resigned from the Germany national team job after another disappointing World Cup showing, but he's one of the top candidates in the world and big clubs will be pursuing him.
Eddie Howe
Bringing in the former Newcastle boss wouldn't be a sexy hire, but the stability he could offer is exactly what Manchester United needs at this perilous moment. Howe led Newcastle to two top-five finishes – and Champions League qualification – in his last four seasons, finishing 12th in 2025-26 after his squad was stripped for parts the previous summer.
Antonio Conte
The well-traveled Italian has had two spells in the Premier League before with Chelsea from 2016-2018 (winning a league title), then Tottenham from 2021-2023. Conte knows what it takes to win at a big club and has plenty of experience juggling big personalities and behind-the-scenes machinations.
Unai Emery
One of the Premier League's most highly regarded managers and beloved in Birmingham, Emery has taken Aston Villa to new heights since taking over in 2022. The 54-year-old Spaniard has experience at massive clubs having managed Arsenal (succeeding Arsene Wenger) and Paris Saint-Germain in the past - but he may extend his tenure at Villa.
Cesc Fabregas
Would Fabregas leave his Como project to become a punching bag in Manchester? It's hard to imagine he would take such a leap, even if the money and the prestige are there.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Mauricio Pochettino coach Manchester United? Six more top job candidates
