Eddie Howe can repeat his genius Joelinton masterstroke with this Man United star waiting to be unleashed

Fabian Hürzeler has dismissed speculation that he is set to replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United.

At the same time, Antonio Conte has insisted that claims of him being in talks with a top club are unfounded and that he is not pushing for an immediate return to management.

United, for their part, are not keen on Conte, with reports suggesting Ineos do not view him as the right fit for their project.

Should Carrick be dismissed, however, the contest now feels like a two-horse race between Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann .

While Nagelsmann's tactical sharpness could make him an upgrade on Carrick, if I were calling the shots, I would still opt for Howe.

Howe is Premier League proven. At Bournemouth, he kept the club in the top flight for five consecutive seasons, a remarkable achievement that earned him Football League Manager of the Decade .

At Newcastle, he restored the club's competitive edge and gave them a clear identity. He eventually guided them back into the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

At both clubs, he established himself as one of the most successful managers of their modern eras.

The main argument against Howe is that, while he might fix what is broken at United, just as he did at Newcastle, he may lack the final ingredient needed to push the team over the line and deliver a 21st league title.

Critics are quick to point out that he never transformed Newcastle into genuine title challengers.

Yet that argument is illogical. Despite having some of the richest owners in world football, Newcastle often struggled in the transfer market.

Howe wanted the very front three United now possess, Matheus Cunha , Benjamin Šeško and Bryan Mbeumo , but all three rejected the chance to join him. As a result, the Toons endured one of their most disappointing summer windows in 2025.

Had Howe secured those players and avoided the injury problems that followed, Newcastle's 2025-26 campaign could have looked very different.

If Jason Wilcox goes ahead and hires Howe, fans will naturally look to him to get the best out of Cunha, Mbeumo and Šeško. Still, one player I believe could be massively revitalised is Joshua Zirkzee .

Zirkzee could be Eddie Howe's Joelinton at Man United

When Newcastle signed Joelinton from Hoffenheim in 2019, they were convinced they had secured a centre-forward who would light up the Premier League. Instead, the Brazilian struggled to find the net.

There were calls for the Magpies to cut their losses and sign a proven goalscorer. Howe, however, saw something in the Samba star. He recognised Joelinton's physicality and combativeness, and saw them as perfect for a box-to-box midfield role. It proved a masterstroke.

With Joelinton anchoring the engine room, Howe built one of the league's most formidable midfields, a unit opposition sides genuinely feared.

Zirkzee may not possess the same combative edge as Joelinton, yet he shares a similar capacity for reinvention.

Deployed in a number 10 role, the Dutchman could flourish. His game is built more around creativity and connection than pure centre-forward play.

He excels at receiving the ball under pressure, escaping markers and driving the team forward from deeper positions into the final third.

Beyond that, his sharp one-twos and ability to link play could give United a valuable alternative creative outlet on days when Bruno Fernandes is not at his sharpest, as in recent matches.

Carrick experimented with Zirkzee in the number 10 role during pre-season, and he was class. However, the United coach has been reluctant to trust him there in competitive fixtures so far. Howe is unlikely to share that caution.

In the end, giving Zirkzee a chance to reinvent himself as a playmaker should not only unlock his best qualities but also help the 20-time English champions to hold on to a baller who remains popular in the dressing room and so contributes positively to squad harmony.