Manchester United's managerial decisions under Sir Jim Ratcliffe could see the club pay nearly £40m in compensation packages. Current boss Michael Carrick is under pressure after a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, and if he leaves, the Red Devils would face another significant severance payout.
Carrick's future in doubt
Carrick was at the centre of crisis talks with United chiefs on Monday, with no decision yet made on his future. The defeat to Bournemouth marked a new low in a difficult start to the season.
The exact amount United would owe if they sacked Carrick is not yet known, but any payout would add to the sums already spent under Ratcliffe's ownership.
Previous payouts under Ratcliffe
United paid around £11m to dismiss Erik ten Hag and his staff during Ratcliffe's first year. A further £11m was spent to buy Ruben Amorim out of his contract with Sporting Lisbon.
Amorim's tenure proved unsuccessful, and the club paid another £8.2m to sack him. A new manager could bring additional costs.
Possible replacements
Eddie Howe is among the frontrunners, but compensation of around £6m is written into his deal following his departure from Newcastle, according to the Daily Telegraph. This would bring the total spent on hiring and firing managers to around £36m before any severance for Carrick.
Howe would reportedly listen to an approach from United but would need convincing to return to management so soon. In 2022, he said: "I felt that if I was to come into a pressured job like [Celtic], I needed to go in with a sense of stability. I could have recruited new staff, but then you're working each other out and there's a transition process where it probably takes three, four, five months. That's five months too late. I needed my staff with me and we couldn't get them together."
Antonio Conte and Julian Nagelsmann are also mentioned as potential candidates. Nagelsmann is available after leaving his role as Germany boss following a disastrous World Cup campaign.
Carrick acknowledged the uncertainty after the Bournemouth defeat, saying: "Listen, it's a tough situation. There's no hiding from it. What it looks like, what's next, I really don't know. But I'll always do what's best for this football club. I've said it all along. I don't change that now. I love what I do, I love the position I'm in and I feel the responsibility, but we'll have to wait and see."
