Manchester United have had a rough start to the 2026-27 season. The Red Devils won just one match in the Premier League out of the nine matches they played overall. They suffered a humiliating exit from the EFL Cup in the third round. If not for some last-minute heroics by Matheus Cunha against AS Roma, United were all set for another humiliating loss in the Champions League as well.
This is why the management is compelled to look for reinforcements, and this time, it might not just be limited to the team itself.
It seems like Michael Carrick will have to make way for a new manager as well as the Red Devils have made contact with French legend Didier Deschamps.
Deschamps led Les Bleus to their maiden World Cup in 1998 as the skipper, and later returned to deliver them another World Cup as the head coach in the 2018 edition. He stepped down from the post after France finished fourth in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It’s been more than a decade since Deschamps last managed a club football team. Before joining Team France as their head coach, Deschamps managed the Marseille club from 2009 to 2012. He led the team to a historic Champions League quarter-final, their first appearance since the 1993 edition. He also led the club to the Coupe de la Ligue title, after which he left the club to re-join Les Bleus as their new head coach. Before Marseille, Deschamps also managed teams like Monaco and Juventus between 2001 and 2007.
However, is Deschamps actually interested in joining Old Trafford to solve their problems? Apparently not. The French manager has made it quite clear that he is in no mood to join the Red Devils. He doesn’t want to handle the mess the Red Devils are currently in, as reported by Santi Aouna of Foot Mercato.
But why did Didier Deschamps reject the offer? Multiple reports indicate that ever since he stepped down from his position as the manager of France’s men’s football team, he wants some quality time with his family. Although he is listening to some offers, Deschamps seems to be in no hurry. The Red Devils are already under fire for poorly executed transfer dealings and fan disapproval. Besides, he doesn’t want to make things further complicated for the Red Devils by joining in haste. He is ready to wait until the next transfer window for a suitable offer.
Now that Deschamps has rejected the offer to join Manchester United, whom can the Red Devils approach next? They were previously linked to Unai Emery, who manages Aston Villa. However, their hopes were dashed as Emery is all set to extend his contract further with the Villans soon. Apart from Emery, Manchester United can also go for either Julian Nagelsmann or Eddie Howe. Nagelsmann was the head coach of Germany until the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He has also managed teams like Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in the past.
For Manchester United, it’s now or never. Team manager Michael Carrick will be facing a trial by fire for the next few matches if he wishes to continue as United’s team manager in the future. The Red Devils managed to keep their Champions League hopes alive by beating AS Roma in an intense face-off. However, if they want to avoid the humiliation of relegation, they need to win their next match against Aston Villa at any cost. The Villans will be facing Manchester United at their home ground on November 8. They are in 10th place in the 2026-27 Premier League and are comfortably placed sixth in the UEFA Champions League.
