Man Utd sack Carrick as Howe rejects Palace to stay available for Old Trafford role

Manchester United are set to sack Michael Carrick following a dismal opening to the Premier League season that has left the club 18th in the table, with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox having finally resolved to make a change during the international break. Eddie Howe, the former Newcastle manager, has rejected an approach from Crystal Palace and is understood to be interested in the role at Old Trafford.

Carrick’s position had been under scrutiny for weeks, but club chiefs chose to wait until the international window before acting. A 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth had triggered an earlier crisis meeting, and while a 3-2 comeback win over Roma and a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa briefly steadied the ship, they were not enough to persuade the board he could reverse the club’s fortunes. United have won just three matches in all competitions this season — against Ipswich, Sabah and Roma — and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

Howe, 48, left Newcastle in July after five years in charge and had been identified as a leading candidate for the United job last month. According to The Sun, he has already turned down the chance to be considered by Crystal Palace, who are also preparing to part ways with Pierre Sage following a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool that left them bottom of the table. Thomas Frank and Sean Dyche are now considered the frontrunners for the Palace position.

At Old Trafford, Howe is one of several names under consideration alongside Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte and Mauricio Pochettino. While Berrada and Wilcox are leading the recruitment process, any final appointment must be sanctioned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The INEOS founder is said to favour an English manager, a preference that works in Howe’s favour.

United’s next fixture is not until 22 November, when they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool, giving the club several weeks to complete the appointment before competitive action resumes.