Manchester United have already been on the phone. Even as the club publicly backed Michael Carrick to keep his job, their executives have been in contact with the representatives of three managers who are currently out of work and could step in if the Englishman is dismissed.

That is the picture painted this week by Fabrizio Romano, who reported for The Week that United have spoken to agents of candidates even though they have not yet decided to switch coach.

The internal order, according to the Italian journalist, is clear. Writing for TeamTalk, Romano identified Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte, in that order, as the three available managers under consideration. All three are out of contract and could join without a compensation fight.

Romano framed the parallel manager hunt as standard practice.

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“It’s normal when things are not going well you start preparing for a potential change,” he told TeamTalk.

Carrick survives for the Chelsea trip

Carrick’s reprieve came after one of the worst weeks of his tenure. United were beaten 4-1 by Como in the Champions League and 3-0 at home by Bournemouth, extending a winless run that has them in the lower half of the Premier League table. Captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned his coach’s tactics.

Even so, the board decided against pulling the trigger. Al Jazeera reported that Carrick would be in the dugout for the trip to Stamford Bridge, with executives wanting to avoid a reactive dismissal before the November international break.

Why Howe is first in the queue

Eddie Howe is the name United’s hierarchy keeps coming back to. He left Newcastle United in the summer of 2026 after helping the club return to European football and end a long trophy drought, saying at the time he wanted a break from management.

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He has not returned to a dugout since, and Football365 reported that he would be open to talks with United even mid-season if the offer came. His Premier League track record is the single biggest reason the Old Trafford board rate him above the alternatives.

Why Nagelsmann is second, and where Conte fits

Julian Nagelsmann is the second name on the list. The German resigned as Germany head coach in July 2026 after a shock World Cup exit against Paraguay in the round of 32. Jurgen Klopp was lined up to take over.

Nagelsmann is young by the standards of this list, aggressive in his pressing and has previously coached at Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich. He fits the mould of a long-term appointment rather than a short-term fire-fighter.

Antonio Conte is the third option, and the most proven title winner of the three. The Italian left Napoli in the summer of 2026 after guiding them to the Serie A championship, with his departure formally confirmed when his contract was terminated by mutual agreement.

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Conte has won league titles at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter, and his teams are famously drilled defensively.

And a fourth name they really want

Romano also flagged a manager United admire more than the three on the formal shortlist: Unai Emery. The Spaniard’s influence over the Aston Villa project would make a move very difficult and costly, in Romano’s reading of the situation at Villa Park.

Barring that, the next steps on United’s end are a matter of results. The Chelsea trip is followed by matches against Roma and Aston Villa before the November international break, the period in which the hierarchy are expected to settle Carrick’s future one way or the other.

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