Fabian Hurzeler: United interest sparks strong Brighton response

Manchester United have been on a roll under caretaker manager Michael Carrick, who remains an option for the full-time position at Old Trafford. However, that has not stopped the Red Devils from being linked to several managerial candidates ahead of the summer.

INEOS have had some poor luck with their managerial appointments and will be hoping to get third time lucky this year. Former head coach Ruben Amorim was appointed by United’s minority owners after a lot of background work, but his tenure turned out to be a disappointment.

The Portuguese head coach had an underwhelming 14-month spell at the Theatre of Dreams, and left in January with the club’s top-four hopes uncertain. Amorim’s future was also subject to speculation last summer after a 15th-placed finish in the Premier League last season.

The Portuguese survived the summer but had an underwhelming start to the new campaign, prompting speculation about his future. It was during that time that Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler was named as a possible replacement for the former Sporting manager.

Hurzeler’s rise at the Amex

Hurzeler arrived at the Amex in the summer of 2024, becoming the youngest permanent coach in Premier League history. The German soon added to his reputation as one of the most exciting young coaches in the world, and transformed Brighton into a well-drilled attacking unit.

Hurzeler has already displayed tactical flexibility, with his team playing intense attacking football and working extremely hard on the pitch. United had no answer to his tactics earlier this year in the FA Cup third round, losing the game 2-1 and exiting the tournament.

Darren Fletcher was in charge for that game in mid-January as interim manager following United’s decision to sack Amorim. The English giants were looking for some stability and appointed Carrick as the Portuguese’s temporary replacement a couple of days later.

Carrick, meanwhile, has already confirmed participation in next season’s Champions League by registering 10 wins and two draws in his 14 games in charge. United are third in the league table with three games remaining, and the focus has now shifted to the managerial selection process.

Michael Carrick Managerial Career Stats

Several Premier League candidates have been named as options for the role, and it now appears that Hurzeler was also in the mix.

United considered Fabian Hurzeler

According to TEAMtalk, United briefly considered Hurzeler for the permanent position, but the German is now expected to sign a new deal at the Amex. The report states: “Brighton have moved decisively to secure the long-term future of head coach Fabian Hurzeler, with TEAMtalk able to confirm that the highly-rated German has agreed a new deal with the club.”

“We can also reveal that Manchester United had also done some work on him as part of their ongoing managerial hunt, though the Red Devils’ co-owners, INEOS, have long been convinced by Michael Carrick and were simply doing due diligence on alternatives should their first choice fail.”

A recent report relayed by The Peoples Person also states that United now consider Carrick as the frontrunner for the permanent position.

Final Thoughts

Hurzeler has been a revelation for the Seagulls, but as things stand, Carrick appears to be the best candidate for the position. With Champions League qualification secure, it is hard to look beyond the Englishman at the moment.

Man United vs PL Big 6 opponents under Michael Carrick:

2-0 win vs Man City
3-2 win vs Arsenal
2-0 win vs Tottenham
1-0 win vs Chelsea
3-2 win vs Liverpool

W5 D0 L0. pic.twitter.com/yMwSuzwwpr

— StatMuse FC (@statmusefc) May 3, 2026

Featured image Gareth Copley via Getty Images

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