Howe less favoured than thought as Hoeness emerges in Man Utd manager search

Manchester United’s search for a permanent manager has taken a new shape, with the club said to be far less enthusiastic about Eddie Howe than public speculation suggests, while Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness has emerged as a genuine admired option.

According to the Independent, United are ‘much less sold’ on Howe — available since leaving Newcastle in the summer — than the volume of his name in the conversation implies. The report also notes that Julian Nagelsmann’s stock has ‘significantly dropped’ among the club’s decision-makers, narrowing the realistic shortlist considerably.

Hoeness, 44, has built a compelling case for consideration after steering Stuttgart from relegation candidates to Champions League qualification and Germany Cup success since taking charge in 2023. His trajectory draws natural comparisons to Ruben Amorim, who arrived at Old Trafford off the back of a similarly impressive rise with Sporting Clube de Portugal before enduring a difficult spell in Manchester.

The backdrop to all of this is the precarious position of current interim manager Michael Carrick. He survived an expected dismissal following a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth after crisis talks with the club’s hierarchy granted him more time. A Champions League comeback victory over Roma provided a timely boost, but his long-term future remains uncertain.

Carrick was measured in his assessment of that Roma result, refusing to treat it as a turning point. “It was a fantastic night as a one-off night,” he said. “It was a good night for us all, but nothing has been achieved yet. It’s one moment we need to use to move forward.”

Director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada are said to prefer a permanent appointment over another interim solution, a stance that reflects growing frustration with a cycle of caretaker managers at Old Trafford. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, and Carrick himself have all filled the role on a temporary basis in recent years.

Whether United move now or wait until the end of the season, the emerging picture suggests the next permanent manager may be a less familiar name to English football audiences than the headlines have so far indicated.