Man Utd identify Premier League manager as ‘standout’ Michael Carrick replacement

Manchester United could look to appoint Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler if they decide to part ways with Michael Carrick, according to reports.

No other Premier League club accrued more points than United last season after Carrick took over on an interim basis in January.

The former Red Devils midfielder was given the permanent job over the summer, but his side have made a sluggish start to the new campaign.

Tuesday’s defeat to Atletico Madrid means United are winless in their last five matches in all competitions, and have just two wins from their first nine games of the season.

The turmoil around the club only intensified after the defeat in Madrid, with Lisandro Martinez launching a withering attack on the club’s lack of ambition and spending during the summer transfer window.

Those comments may well divert attention away from Carrick for now, but the United boss will need some positive results to ease the growing pressure on his shoulders.

And while any change in the dugout does not appear imminent, The Sun reports that the club have already earmarked Brighton boss Hurzeler as a standout replacement for the embattled Carrick.

The German arrived at Brighton in 2024 and has led the club to successive eighth-placed finishes in the top flight.

And the Seagulls have started this season even better, with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Arsenal prior to the international break helping them sit third after six games.

The 33-year-old signed a new deal earlier this summer, but only last month, Brighton owner Tony Bloom admitted the club are ‘prepared’ should a richer club come calling for his services.

‘I never worry about losing anyone at the football club,’ he told The Argus.

‘I know these things will change over time, but we’re prepared for any eventuality.’

Elsewhere, former Red Devils midfielder Paul Scholes labelled Hurzeler as the ‘real deal’ but expressed doubts as to whether the German could step up into a role at Old Trafford.

‘He’s done great,’ Scholes said on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast.

‘He looks the real deal, but again, Man United is different. The scrutiny is on you every single week. If Brighton didn’t win a game for the next 10 games, nobody would really be that bothered.

‘The one thing that someone like Hurzeler has got over Michael is that he’s done a body of work in the Premier League. Michael did okay in Middlesbrough with what he had.

‘I think Middlesbrough were probably expecting more with the budget they had.’

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