Eddie Howe Open to Manchester United Approach Amid Stuttering Start
Eddie Howe is back in the headlines, and he hasn’t even taken a training session since walking away from Newcastle United in the summer.
The 46-year-old has been out of work since his abrupt, shock exit from St James’ Park midway through preseason, a decision that stunned a fanbase which had watched him drag the club from relegation trouble to European nights and a long-awaited domestic trophy. That body of work has not been forgotten – least of all by clubs still searching for a clear identity.
Now his name is being linked with one of the biggest jobs of all.
Howe open to Manchester United approach
On Thursday, Indy Kaila reported on X that Howe would be open to an approach from Manchester United if the club decides to part ways with Michael Carrick after a stuttering start to the campaign. The claim is stark: United’s hierarchy, the report says, is ready to act if the current run of underwhelming results continues.
“Manchester United prepared to act if poor form continues; Eddie Howe understood to be open to approach,” Kaila posted, encapsulating the mood around Old Trafford in a single line.
For the moment, Carrick remains in the dugout. There is no vacancy, no formal process, no official contact. But the report paints a picture of owners growing impatient with an unconvincing opening to the season, compounded by early struggles in the domestic cups that have only amplified the noise around the manager.
According to the same report, that impatience is matched by Howe’s readiness to listen. If United pick up the phone, the former Newcastle boss is described as “more than willing” to hear what they have to say.
“Manchester United's owners are prepared to make an immediate change in the dugout should the club's current form persist, according to sources,” the report states. “It is understood that Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe would be willing to take charge at Old Trafford if formally approached.”
The wording is telling. The threat of change feels real. So does Howe’s interest.
From St James’ Park to Old Trafford?
Any move would mark a rapid return to Premier League management for Howe, only a few months after his surprise departure from Tyneside. It would also thrust him straight back under the brightest lights, with Manchester United competing in the Champions League this season and the scrutiny around the club as fierce as ever.
Howe’s stock remains high. When he arrived at Newcastle in late 2021, the club was hovering near the bottom of the table, staring at another relegation scrap. He reshaped the side, tightened standards, and turned them into consistent challengers for European places. Under his watch, Newcastle ended a long wait for a major domestic honour and re-established themselves as a force capable of unsettling the Premier League’s traditional powers.
His exit in the summer cleared the path for Matthias Jaissle, who has set about overhauling a significantly altered squad after a series of high-profile departures and arrivals. Newcastle are now very much Jaissle’s project.
Howe, meanwhile, waits. For the right call. For the right club.
Whether that club turns out to be Manchester United will depend on two things: how long Carrick can arrest the current slide, and how bold United’s owners are prepared to be if the results don’t turn.
If the poor form drags on and Old Trafford does come calling, Howe’s next move could reshape the Premier League’s managerial landscape all over again.
