Michael Carrick is hanging on by a thread at Manchester United, with Eddie Howe favoured to succeed him in the event of his sacking as head coach

Manchester United have been told it will cost them north of £70million to sign Lewis Hall from Newcastle in January. However, considering their relationship at St James' Park, Eddie Howe may demand the club pay what is required should he succeed Michael Carrick at Old Trafford.

Carrick has incredibly limited time to prove himself with the Reds, having failed to live up to expectations since signing a permanent deal this summer. While the 45-year-old was a revelation in his interim role between January and May, the new season has proven largely unkind to the Wallsend-born tactician.

As things stand, United sit 16th in the Premier League standings with just one win to show from their opening eight, with patience wearing thin at the Theatre of Dreams. Add to that the fact United haven't achieved victory in their last eight matches across all competitions, and speculation is rife that Carrick could be shown the door in the coming days or weeks, should he fail to reverse fortunes.

In the event that he is given the boot, then numerous candidates have emerged as potential successors to Carrick. Among those are the likes of Antonio Conte, Julian Nagelsmann and Howe.

Should the latter arrive, it could serve as a major boost to the club's hopes of securing Newcastle left-back Hall. That's considering Howe was able to get the best out of the 22-year-old during his breakthrough season at St James', and their strong relationship as a result of working with one another on Tyneside.

Make sure you never miss the latest Manchester United news and opinion by making Manchester Evening News one of your Google preferred sources.

That would also solve a major problem position for United at present. The Reds tried and failed to reinforce their defence this summer, with Hall linked for a move to Old Trafford.

Unfortunately, Newcastle's reluctance to sell one of their most prized assets, having already lost Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon to Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona respectively, meant that a deal never materialised.

FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page

While Alejandro Balde was also linked with making a move to Old Trafford from the Camp Nou, he instead decided to stay in the Spanish sun and fight for his place under Hansi Flick. Should United reignite their interest in Hall in the winter transfer window, they now know exactly how much they will need to spend.

As per Football Insider, the Reds will have to cough up a minimum of £70m for Hall if they are serious in their endeavours. That would mark a new transfer record for a left-back, eclipsing the £69m that Bayern Munich paid Atletico Madrid for Lucas Hernandez in 2019.

That price tag reflects the confidence that the Magpies have in Hall's capabilities and potential ceiling at such a young age, as well as the fact that he is tied down to a lengthy contract. Newcastle are in no rush to sell the defender, given he recently signed a new deal that runs until at least 2031.

It comes as Carrick has limited time left to show why he is the right man to lead United back to glory. The club were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the third round by Brighton & Hove Albion and do not have a midweek match as a result.

However, the club will likely use that opportunity to train relentlessly for their upcoming game against Chelsea. It's the Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Stamford Bridge.