Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly in favour of Eddie Howe taking over as manager, with Michael Carrick's position under threat following a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth that left the club without a win in eight games.
INEOS and Ratcliffe face another difficult decision over the club's leadership, with Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte also touted as potential replacements. According to The i Paper, Ratcliffe wants an English manager in charge, having previously pushed to recruit former England boss Gareth Southgate.
Board divide over next manager
There is reportedly a divide among United's board members over who should get the job if Carrick is fired. Director of football Jason Wilcox is said to favour Howe, while head of recruitment Christopher Vivell wants former Germany and Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, and Ratcliffe is leaning towards siding with Wilcox.
Howe's free-agent status makes him an attractive target at minimal cost. His achievements at Newcastle include landing the club its first major title in 70 years, though there may be doubt about whether he would have the same freedom financing his project as he did in the north-east.
Howe to insist on coaching staff
One potential prerequisite for Howe signing on at Old Trafford would be bringing his coaching staff with him. Howe, 48, has shown loyalty to those he knows well and has turned down work over the issue before, including the Celtic job in 2021, which collapsed over his insistence on naming his own coaching team.
"I felt that if I was to come into a pressured job like [Celtic], I needed to go in with a sense of stability," he told The Athletic in 2022. "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."
Howe's former Newcastle assistant, Jason Tindall, previously worked under him at Bournemouth before reuniting at St. James' Park five years ago. Other long-term fixtures under Howe at Newcastle include Graeme Jones, Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone.
