Howe, Nagelsmann and Hurzeler emerge as United weigh Carrick sack ahead of Bournemouth

Manchester United are weighing up the dismissal of head coach Michael Carrick, with the 45-year-old facing the axe if his side cannot beat Bournemouth on Sunday — a result that would extend a run of seven games without a win.

Carrick survived the immediate aftermath of a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como on Wednesday, but United have managed just two victories in 11 games this season. While there is an acknowledgement inside the club that not every failing can be attributed to the manager, performances have been alarming enough to make his future a major internal talking point.

Should United move on from Carrick, director of football Jason Wilcox is understood to favour a Premier League-proven replacement. His primary target is Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler, though the 33-year-old is reportedly unconvinced about the move to Old Trafford, and Brighton would demand substantial compensation — money United do not currently have available.

Among out-of-work candidates, Eddie Howe ranks highly in Wilcox’s thinking. The former Newcastle and Bournemouth manager left St James’ Park in the summer and his sustained work at both clubs is widely admired within the United hierarchy.

Julian Nagelsmann remains a live option, championed by director of recruitment Christopher Vivell. Vivell had pushed for United to consider the German coach in the summer, but the club deemed appointing a manager mid-tournament logistically impossible. Nagelsmann departed the Germany job at the World Cup and is now available. His experience at Bayern Munich and his broader profile are seen as qualities that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe would find attractive, even as Wilcox holds sway with Ratcliffe on the matter.

The Como defeat carried an additional sting for Ratcliffe. Lucas Da Cunha, the 25-year-old Como captain who controlled midfield at Lake Como, spent three years at Ineos-owned Nice and had a loan spell at Lausanne-Sport, another club in the Ineos portfolio. He made just 11 appearances for Nice before being sold to Como for around €700,000 in 2023 — a period that coincided with Sir Dave Brailsford’s hands-on role as director of sport for Ineos. Da Cunha has since broken into the France squad, earning three caps, and is now being linked with moves valued at around £50 million.