Next in line? Main contenders for the Manchester United hot seat

Julian Nagelsmann (unattached) The German was of interest to Manchester City while Omar Berrada was part of the hierarchy on the other side of town. He is highly thought of and would come with an impressive CV for a 39-year-old, having taken charge of Bayern Munich and Germany. Nagelsmann is regarded as an innovator who is very demanding of his players and builds teams to press relentlessly, a concept not currently used at United, as Bruno Fernandes will testify. His spell with Germany was underwhelming, concluding with a 2026 World Cup last-32 defeat by Paraguay, and at Bayern – with an exceptional squad – he won the Bundesliga in his only full season and was sacked the following March with the team second and still in the Champions League.

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Unai Emery (Aston Villa) The King of the Europa League is tactically astute and knows about working on a budget. If he is intrigued by the prospect of managing United, it would come down to whether he believes they have more potential than Villa, who are one point and place above them in the Premier League and faring much better in the Champions League, and whether United are willing to pay significant compensation. Emery likes a 4-2-3-1 but has always had a central striker at his disposal, and United lack someone strong in this department. Very calm but with a ruthless edge when required, he has plenty of silverware to back up his credentials. He is regarded as one of the game’s great pragmatists and is happy to play on the counterattack, which would suit the United squad.

Antonio Conte (unattached) The Italian, who left Napoli in the summer, knows the Premier League from spells with Chelsea and Tottenham, winning the title with the former in 2017. A fierce competitor and disciplinarian, he would shake up the dressing room with his high standards. His fiery temper can also result in fascinating interactions with the media, including telling a post-match press conference after losing to Burnley that maybe he was not the right man to manage Spurs. His willingness to speak out when it may not necessarily be wise could put United off. His preference for playing three at the back could be problematic considering the personnel at United, as Ruben Amorim found out.

Kieran McKenna (unattached) The Northern Irishman worked within the United academy before stepping up to be part of José Mourinho’s backroom staff alongside Carrick. He stayed when Ole Gunnar Solskjær replaced the Portuguese and was credited with having a strong tactical influence as United secured second place. It is often a strength to have a link to a club but considering the struggles Solskjær and Carrick have endured, an external candidate seems more appropriate. He departed to become a head coach at Ipswich and his work there meant he was linked with a return to United to replace Erik ten Hag. McKenna resigned in June after securing promotion to the Premier League for a second time to take time away from the day-to-day grind of management. Would he want to end his sabbatical by jumping into a precarious situation after five or so months?

Eddie Howe (unattached) The English option and a manager with plenty of Premier League experience who took Newcastle to the Champions League. Arguably this makes him the safest pair of hands. A hard worker, Howe was often first in and last out at the Newcastle training ground as he pored over every detail. A lover of wingers and 4-3-3, he would be reliant on a central striker such as Benjamin Sesko to step up. He likes to work closely with his nephew Andy, who held senior roles at Bournemouth and Newcastle, which would create an interesting dynamic if he wanted similar at United. Howe, like others in contention, would not cost anything in compensation – and every penny counts at Old Trafford.

Fabian Hürzeler (Brighton) The 33-year-old has a growing reputation, with his Brighton team third after scoring 23 goals in seven games. This could explain why he is not particularly keen on leaving at the moment. His team are outperforming United with a squad that looks stronger. The size of United is alluring for many coaches but moving mid-season to a struggling club is not always advantageous because it means stepping into a firefight.