Man Utd chiefs SPLIT on Carrick replacement as player row spills into boardroom

Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox and director of recruitment Christopher Vivell reportedly have different opinions as to who should replace Michael Carrick, with tensions growing between the pair. The Red Devils boss is under increasing pressure to deliver results, with the recent 4-1 thrashing in Como increasing tensions.

United are in a mess, with players speaking out about the lack of investment in the squad in the summer, while Bruno Fernandes set tongues wagging after the defeat to Como with comments about a lack of pressing. Carrick came out to refute those claims after the match, with it clear there's a disagreement between players and staff.

Those problems aren't limited to on the field, with senior chiefs' Wilcox and Vivell said to have different views about who should be Carrick's successor, if they make the decision to move onto their third head coach in 2026. The Daily Mail claims there's been an acceptance within the club that the recruitment in the summer transfer window was not good enough, with some sympathy for Carrick who is without nine senior players.

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However, Carrick has managed just two wins in 11 games and results are showing no sign of improvement.

The former midfielder is set to take charge of this weekend's clash with Bournemouth, but the report claims potential successors have already been sounded out.

Vivell is reportedly pushing hard for Julian Nagelsmann to be installed as the next United boss, with the former Bayern Munich and Germany boss out of work after leaving the national side in the summer.

However, Wilcox, who is above Vivell in the chain of command, reportedly favours a Premier League-proven manager.

The director of football has reportedly drawn up a shortlist Eddie Howe, Fabian Hurzeler, Unai Emery and Antonio Conte all featuring.

Speaking after the defeat, Carrick said: "Listen, I've not given my own position any thought. [My thoughts are] for the supporters – I was one of them watching that and I wasn't happy at all."

"It's not about me right now and my feelings in that regard. It's more of as a team and as a football club, what we want to look like, what we should look like.

"And as I said, the results can come and go at times, but you got to do it in a certain way. And that wasn't it."