Eddie Howe has been out of work since leaving Newcastle United in the summer
When Sir Jim Ratcliffe became a co-owner of Manchester United in 2024, much of the narrative centred on his desire to rebuild the club around a British core.
Given the expense of buying homegrown players, and the difficulties Michael Carrick - the first permanent British managerial appointment of the Ineos era - has faced this season, perhaps Ratcliffe is rethinking.
But if Carrick fails to stop the rot and loses his job, United are already considering the merits of appointing another British coach - albeit one who is more experienced.
That Eddie Howe is a contender for a job that remains one of the most high-profile in world football isn't hard to fathom.
Speak to those who have worked alongside Howe and they describe a man whose track record of improving players is a direct result of his relentless approach on the training field.
They will also tell you Howe is someone who places an unwavering importance on the methodology of setting a winning culture.
Howe may lack experience at one of the traditional top-six clubs, but his body of work at Bournemouth and Newcastle is impressive.
Having been appointed Bournemouth boss with the club facing relegation from League Two in January 2009, Howe led them to the Premier League in 2015. He went on to establish the Cherries as a top-flight club before leaving - for a second time - in 2020.
In 2021, Howe was appointed Newcastle manager. He led them from relegation trouble to qualification for the Champions League on two occasions and won the EFL Cup - the club's first trophy in 56 years - in 2025.
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Of course, managing Manchester United is an altogether different proposition.
Indeed, Howe's emergence as a potential successor to Carrick has been greeted with negativity in some circles.
Sections of the fanbase have been vocal on social media with their opinion that Howe isn't a big enough name to replace Carrick.
Former United players Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt also fell short of providing their backing to Howe on their podcast, though it is worth pointing out they spoke in favour of the 48-year-old's potential appointment when Ruben Amorim was sacked in January.
Ex-captain Roy Keane is among those to have backed Howe as a possible successor to Carrick, and other former top-flight players - including Darren Bent, Gareth Barry and Jack Wilshere - have also touted him as the man for the job.
Of course, if you look hard enough you'll find voices for and against every potential manager, and it will be up to United chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Jason Wilcox and director of recruitment Christopher Vivell to weigh up how they proceed.
Their first decision will be what happens with Carrick, and Saturday's match against Chelsea is likely to have a bearing on how United move forward.
If Carrick does depart, finances will inevitably be a factor.
The former Middlesbrough boss and his staff will need to be paid up before United even get to factoring in the monetary commitment towards their next head coach.
While the details of Howe's agreement with Newcastle when he left in the summer remain confidential, it is understood that as things stand any club or national team would be required to pay a seven-figure compensation fee to the Magpies.
Multiple sources have told BBC Sport that Newcastle - with a view to protecting themselves against Howe walking straight into another club - reached an agreement over a compensation structure that decreases over time.
It is understood that figure started at £6m but has already reduced by half.
The compensation payments have an expiry date - understood to be before the end of the season - at which point he can be appointed for nothing.
Of course, in an industry in which astronomical figures are the norm, the prospect of paying a maximum of £3m for Howe may not be too problematic.
That said, given the amount Manchester United have spent on hiring and firing managers in recent years, it is understandable if Berrada and Wilcox want to keep costs down.
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As well as the doubts from some supporters about Howe's potential appointment, there has also been conjecture over how he would fit in United's footballing structure.
At both Bournemouth and Newcastle, Howe developed a strong powerbase in all aspects of the footballing department - including recruitment.
That dynamic wasn't without financial benefit to Howe's employers.
The likes of Nathan Ake, Callum Wilson and Tyrone Mings were all signed by Howe at Bournemouth - and sold for a big profit by the Cherries.
At Newcastle, meanwhile, Howe was instrumental in the signings of Bruno Guimarares, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Alexander Isak - all of whom were sold for more than they joined for. Dan Burn, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento are among those to have developed into full England internationals under his coaching.
But with a football management structure at Old Trafford that includes Berrada, Wilcox and Vivell, it is likely that Howe - at least not immediately - would not be afforded the same level of autonomy.
Howe, though, is on record saying he is happy to work alongside sporting directors, and has a track record of doing so - firstly at Bournemouth under Richard Hughes, then chief executive Neill Blake.
At Newcastle, he worked closely with senior management figures Dan Ashworth, Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi - so fitting into Manchester United's structure wouldn't be drastically different.
Whether he would want the job given the challenges, we may never know. And ultimately it is the opinion of Manchester United's decision-makers that will truly matter.
Howe is an obvious contender for the Manchester United job, just as he would be if the England head coach's position became available.
Whether he is offered it or not will give a clear indication about the path United are going down.
Director of football Jason Wilcox is thought to favour the 48-year-old, with director of recruitment Christopher Vivell preferring former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Ultimately, their recommendations will be assessed by chief executive Omar Berrada, with minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co-chairs Joel and Avram Glazer having the final say.
It is not completely clear where the negativity about Howe moving to Old Trafford comes from, other than Wilcox being targeted by Manchester United fans during the 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth.
In the current managerial climate, few managers get the chance to build a body at work at one club over a number of years as, for instance, Sir Alex Ferguson did at Aberdeen before he moved south in November 1986.
There is clearly a general disillusionment among the club's matchgoing fans around the football decisions taken since Ratcliffe bought his minority stake in early 2024, but Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick have all been backed.
Some say no manager can succeed at United with the structure as it is, and it is clear whoever is in charge needs to mould together a squad bought by six permanent managers, most of whom have differing playing styles.
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