Eddie Howe Linked With Manchester United Amid Carrick Pressure

Eddie Howe has barely been out of work, but his name is already back in the Premier League conversation — and at one of its biggest addresses.

The former Newcastle United manager has been without a club since his shock decision to step down midway through preseason, an abrupt end to a tenure that dragged the Magpies from relegation trouble into European contention and delivered their first domestic silverware in decades. It felt like a project still in motion. Then, suddenly, it was over.

Now his next move could be even bigger.

On Thursday, Indy Kaila reported on X that Howe would be open to an approach from Manchester United if the club decides to part ways with Michael Carrick after a stuttering start to the campaign. The report stated that United’s hierarchy is ready to act should the current poor run continue.

“Manchester United prepared to act if poor form continues; Eddie Howe understood to be open to approach,” Kaila wrote.

Carrick remains in the dugout at Old Trafford for the moment. There is no vacancy, no formal contact, no announcement. But the mood around the club, according to the report, is shifting. United’s owners are described as increasingly impatient after an unconvincing opening to the season and early struggles in domestic cup competition.

The suggestion is clear: if results do not turn, the trigger could be pulled quickly.

Kaila’s report goes further, claiming Howe would be ready to listen if United make a formal move for him. One line from the piece underlines the situation:

“Manchester United's owners are prepared to make an immediate change in the dugout should the club's current form persist, according to sources. It is understood that Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe would be willing to take charge at Old Trafford if formally approached.”

That prospect would propel Howe straight back into the Premier League spotlight only months after walking away from St James’ Park. It would also drop him into the most unforgiving glare of all: Manchester United, back in the Champions League and desperate to rediscover a coherent identity on and off the pitch.

Howe’s work at Newcastle still carries weight. When he arrived in late 2021, the club was staring down a relegation fight. He steadied the defence, sharpened the attack, and gradually turned Newcastle into a regular challenger for European places. The team’s rise under his watch reshaped expectations on Tyneside.

His departure this summer opened the door for Matthias Jaissle, who has already begun to remodel Newcastle around a revamped squad, with major exits and big-name arrivals forcing a new tactical blueprint.

Now the question hangs over Old Trafford and the wider league: would Howe really jump straight back in, and at Manchester United of all places, so soon after leaving Newcastle?

If United’s form doesn’t improve, the answer might arrive quicker than anyone expected.