Eddie Howe’s potential managerial reign at Old Trafford would only amplify Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos’ biggest shortcomings at Premier League side Manchester United.

The 48-year-old is currently a free agent after he stepped down from his role at Newcastle United after the 2025-26 Premier League campaign at St James’ Park.

Ineos’ Lewis Hall ‘fumble’ makes an Eddie Howe run as the Man Utd manager an even tougher pill to swallow

Manchester United could potentially bring in one of the instrumental figures who made Lewis Hall the player that he is today. The Red Devils could land the manager behind Newcastle’s most recent success, but they allowed one of the Magpies’ prized assets to slip right through their fingers.

Lewis Hall had been viewed as a potential heir apparent to an ageing Luke Shaw and the Red Devils had been desperate for additional support at the left-back role. The 22-year-old left-back, who can also play in midfield, was reportedly valued at around £50m to £60m. However, Newcastle were expected to demand upwards of £75m last summer before they would sanction a potential sale of Hall.

Eddie Howe played a key role in Hall’s development at Newcastle after the England international was signed from Chelsea in 2024. Under Howe’s management, Hall was able to catch the eye of the Three Lions and made his international debut in 2024 under interim manager Lee Carsley.

The appointment of Howe at United would not be enough to revisit the Hall transfer. A move for the former Chelsea player is all but over after Hall signed a new contract in September. The Three Lions international is under contract at St James’ Park until 2031 and only an astonishing bid would even turn Newcastle’s head in United’s direction now. According to Flashscore in October, Newcastle could now demand at least £85.6m from United for Hall.

Lewis Hall’s career stats for Newcastle after the Magpies signed him for an initial £28m transfer fee from Chelsea:

If Howe were moving to United in the summer while he was still at Newcastle, then the former Magpies boss’ influence could tempt Hall to make the switch as well. However, the former Bournemouth and Burnley boss’ arrival at Old Trafford would again signal the inept transfer strategy of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos regime.

Instead, the Achilles’ heel of Man Utd not signing Hall in the summer would leave Howe no better off than Michael Carrick. The 45-year-old United legend has had to exhaust different avenues to use at left-back this season, including deploying Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui as makeshift options.

The only hope for United fans would be that Howe could nurture the development of Harry Amass as a potential Hall-esque left-back. Harry Amass has been struggling for United first-team minutes under Carrick, who has been playing different players ahead of the youngster in the absence of Luke Shaw.

However, not even the magic touch of Howe could transform United youth academy product Amass into a top-level performer like Hall overnight. Amass might never reach that level at all, as it could be the whim of United fans to think that he could pull off that feat under Howe. In fact, it could not happen at all. But Howe cannot wave a magic wand for Ineos and help them bring in a player, such as Hall, who would have been the perfect type of signing for a new United manager.