Manchester United could reportedly need to pay a significant compensation package to appoint Eddie Howe as Michael Carrick's successor. Howe has emerged as the leading candidate for the Old Trafford job, with Carrick's position thrown into serious jeopardy after Sunday's 3-0 home defeat to AFC Bournemouth.
United currently sit 16th in the Premier League after their winless run was extended to eight games across all competitions.
United's director of football, Jason Wilcox, is reportedly keen to bring in Howe, who left Newcastle United in July after five years in charge there. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also said to favor the Englishman over other potential candidates, including Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte and Fabian Hürzeler, should the club decide to dismiss Carrick.
Howe himself is believed to be open to taking charge at Old Trafford. However, while United's hierarchy are reportedly weighing up whether to remove Carrick ahead of their upcoming Premier League match against Chelsea, securing their preferred candidate may prove more complicated than first thought.
According to Chronicle Live, Newcastle would be entitled to compensation should Howe return to management, with a 'significant payout' potentially required given how much time remains on his contract at St James' Park. Howe was reportedly earning around £6 million ($8 million) a year and had signed a multi-year deal in the summer of 2024, meaning any compensation could run into the millions.
The report suggests Newcastle could be due a substantial windfall, particularly after allowing members of Howe's backroom staff, including Jason Tindall, Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone, to leave alongside him amid speculation they could reunite at another club. Such a cost would add to the considerable sums United have already spent on managerial departures in recent years.
The club previously incurred a net severance cost of £8.2 million (around $10.9 million) following the early exit of Ruben Amorim and his coaching staff, according to The Express, underlining the financial impact of another potential managerial change at Old Trafford.
Several names have already been floated as possible replacements at Old Trafford, with Nagelsmann among the frontrunners. United's head of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, is also said to favor Nagelsmann, who has been without a club since stepping down as Germany manager last summer.
Ratcliffe, however, is expected to have the final say on any managerial appointment and reportedly prefers an English candidate. According to The Sun, the INEOS billionaire wants United to install a homegrown manager.
Should United formally pursue Howe, they would likely also need to reach agreements with his loyal backroom team, including assistant manager Tindall, first-team coaches Purches and Weatherstone, and sports scientist Dan Hodges. All four have worked with Howe during his spells at Bournemouth and Newcastle.
