Mauricio Pochettino is emerging as a leading contender for the Manchester United job with the expectation that Michael Carrick will be sacked in the coming hours, but Fabrizio Romano has revealed talks with another candidate.

GIVEMESPORT understands that following talks on Monday, Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada are set to recommend that Carrick is sacked in a meeting with Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Tuesday.

Man United decided to stick with the 45-year-old after successive heavy defeats to Como and Bournemouth, and his three results since then were a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, a remarkable comeback win against AS Roma in the Champions League, before they rescued a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday in dramatic circumstances.

Still, the Red Devils lie in the Premier League relegation zone after 10 matches, with their only win of the campaign coming at home to newly-promoted Ipswich Town in August.

Wilcox and Berrada have clearly seen enough, even if the United players have shown some fight in their previous two games.

With Carrick expected to be dismissed, attention has turned to who the club could appoint as the former Middlesbrough boss' successor.

• May 2026 — Carrick named as permanent United boss on two-year deal after securing Champions League return.
• August 2026 — United opened the season with a 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City.
• September 2026 — Derby loss to Manchester City, followed by Carabao Cup exit against Brighton.
• October 2026 — Como thrashed United 4-1, then Chelsea defeat extended winless run to nine.
• November 2026 — Carrick expected to be sacked after 4-4 draw with Aston Villa.

GMS understands that United States manager Pochettino is now a leading contender, and he has a release clause worth $10m (around £7.5m) in the contract he recently extended following the 2026 World Cup.

United do hold an interest in some free-agent managers too though, with Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte on the managerial shortlist following their exits from Germany and Napoli earlier this year, and Newcastle United's Eddie Howe.

According to Romano, speaking on his latest YouTube video, the Red Devils have already spoken to people close to the Englishman about the job. He said:

Eddie Howe is also a name we have to keep into consideration because Man United spoke with people close to Eddie Howe.

"In this case, Newcastle would get a little compensation, just a few million pounds. But there is no issue or problem if Man United decide to go for Eddie Howe. So it's on the club to decide."

Pochettino and Howe Both Have Advantages

Should it come down to a straight choice between Pochettino and Howe, it's clear that both managers have their advantages.

The Argentine has been a long-term target for United and has been close to the job before, but of course the game has evolved since then.

His disappointing spell in charge of Chelsea will be a concern, but there is no doubting the incredible work he did with Tottenham Hotspur previously, while he also won a Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain.

Pochettino completely galvanised Spurs as a club and made them one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Premier League, with Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane all in their prime.

Howe did exactly the same after taking over from Steve Bruce in November 2021, as he took a team battling relegation to Champions League qualification in the space of 18 months, aided by the investment of PIF.

Both managers were loved by the fanbases for the way they transformed their respective clubs, and it's no surprise that they are two of the leading contenders to take over at United.

Right now, Pochettino should probably edge it given he has more experience of managing bigger clubs, but it is certainly a tough choice for United chiefs.