Emery and Nagelsmann emerge as leading candidates to replace Carrick at Manchester United
On 22 October 2026 Unai Emery and Julian Nagelsmann were identified as the principal targets to take over from Michael Carrick as Manchester United head coach after Wednesday’s 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como, with Carrick’s position under intensified scrutiny.
Carrick, 45, has recorded only two wins from 11 games this season and the club is experiencing its poorest start to a campaign since 1986, which has concentrated board attention on possible replacements. Emery and Nagelsmann are reported to have admirers at board level amid that growing pressure.
Emery is under contract at Aston Villa until 2029, and his annual pay—reported at between £10m and £12m—means any approach would require a significant compensation package to be paid to Villa. Since taking charge of Villa in 2022 he won the Europa League last season, the club’s first major trophy since 1996, and led them to a fourth-place finish, one position behind United; his managerial honours also include trophies with Sevilla, Paris Saint-Germain and Villarreal, while he had a less successful spell at Arsenal.
Nagelsmann is currently without a club after leaving the Germany job following the national side’s last-32 World Cup exit in the summer, having previously managed Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich. He won the Bundesliga in 2022 with Bayern before being sacked in March 2023, is highly regarded by United’s head of recruitment Christopher Vivell, and the 39-year-old later guided Germany to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Spain; it is understood Nagelsmann would be interested in an approach from United.
Other names thought to be under consideration include Antonio Conte, Eddie Howe and Kieran McKenna, who are currently out of work after leaving Napoli, Newcastle and Ipswich respectively, while it is understood Fabian Hürzeler is not open to leaving Brighton at this stage.
Bruno Fernandes’s home was targeted in a break-in while he was away with the squad for the Como match; his family were not at home and the intruders were inside for less than five minutes before police arrived. The club said it was supporting Fernandes and asked for privacy, and the 32-year-old midfielder is not expected to face disciplinary action after he questioned the head coach’s tactics following the Como defeat.
Carrick is expected to remain in charge for Sunday’s visit of Bournemouth and is due to hold his pre-game media conference on Friday.