Wilcox wants to hire 4-2-3-1 manager for Man Utd

It seems to come around quicker every year, doesn’t it? The days become shorter, the streetlamps turn on sooner, the clocks go back and a Manchester United manager faces the sack. It’s becoming a true Premier League tradition and one that Michael Carrick looks unlikely to survive.

Last season, it was Ruben Amorim who was sent packing. That was arguably overdue.

This time, just months into his permanent tenure, Carrick has – to only the surprise of the United hierarchy – failed to turn his interim bounce into something more. It’s all too familiar for the Red Devils.

In between the managerial pressure and Lisandro Martinez’s Champions League pipe bomb, however, Carlos Baleba has at least handed United some good news.

How Carlos Baleba is quickly becoming Man Utd’s bright spark

For all the criticism that Man United’s summer business has received, even from their own players in public fashion, Baleba is already proving why he cost the Red Devils as much as £70m. The former Brighton star has hit the ground running even as his teammates struggle around him.

Against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last time out, he very nearly did enough to drag United to all three points, despite Spurs’ dominance throughout. Ultimately, Dominic Solanke had the final say, but Baleba’s performance from the bench stood out nonetheless.

In the space of 31 minutes, Baleba outperformed colleagues Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo. He was on track to cover more distance than both, had a better duel success than the latter, and was on course to make more recoveries.

The big question for Carrick is not whether he should start Baleba; it is whether he should start Tielemans or Mainoo next to him. That midfield place is undeniably his to lose.

REUTERS/Phil Noble

Against Atletico Madrid, he enjoyed similar success out of possession – winning 71% of his duels. Even when Man United are struggling, Baleba is standing out.

With Carrick already on the ropes in the first round of his Old Trafford tenure, INEOS could hire a manager who’d take their £70m signing to an even better level.

Man Utd targeting manager who’d take Baleba to new level

When the rumours begin to arrive, it’s already too late for a manager. For Carrick, the writing is already seemingly on the wall. It’s simply a waiting game now, especially if results continue, as INEOS commence their search for a suitable replacement.

REUTERS/Peter Cziborra

The managerial market is certainly in a healthy place for such a decision, too. The likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte and Eddie Howe are all available as free agents and would all be excellent options. Alas, Wilcox is not just looking towards the simple, easy option for his next hire.

According to talkSPORT, the Man United chief wants to hire Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler to replace Carrick. The German is reportedly favoured by Wilcox and could become the youngest manager in Premier League history to take charge of Man United at just 33 years old.

REUTERS/Matthew Childs

It’s easy to see why Hurzeler is a target, and not just because of his youth. The 4-2-3-1 manager has earned his place on United’s radar and has, crucially, already centred one team around Baleba.

During their time together in Sussex, Baleba and Hurzeler thrived – especially in the 2024/25 campaign before AFCON and mixed form caused a slight dip last season.

It was in 24/25 that Baleba first earned United’s admiration, as he partnered the likes of Jack Hinshelwood and the more technical Yasin Ayari.

When Hurzeler combined Baleba’s physicality with Ayari’s technical ability and creativity, he took Brighton to eighth in the Premier League. The former provided the perfect platform for the latter to impress.

Now, two years later, the young manager could arrive before forming a similar partnership between Baleba and Mainoo, who is at an even higher technical level than Ayari.

It would bring Baleba back to his absolute best level and bring Mainoo alongside him to solve Man United’s midfield problem.