Man Utd contact World Cup winner after Unai Emery blow

Manchester United have identified a new name in their search for a replacement for under-pressure head coach Michael Carrick.

The 45-year-old alleviated some of the immediate sack concerns with a 3-2 comeback victory over AS Roma in the Champions League, but it still feels unlikely that he will be in charge of the Red Devils come the end of the season - or perhaps even the new year.

Man Utd want to wait until the upcoming international break before making a final call on Carrick, who has overseen the club's worst start to a season in 40 years. Ironically, the Old Trafford club will face Aston Villa and Unai Emery this weekend.

He is one of the Man Utd hierarchy's favourites to replace Carrick, but getting him out of Villa Park is virtually impossible. In fact, the Spaniard and his closest allies at Villa are reportedly on the verge of signing new contracts in Birmingham.

Consequently, Emery will not replace Carrick, and Man Utd will have to consider other options. Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte are all currently unattached and remain in the frame for the job.

There is also another high-profile manager who is currently out of a job: Didier Deschamps, who brought his successful 14-year spell in charge of the French national team to an end this summer.

The 58-year-old won the World Cup in 2018 and led Les Bleus to another final in 2022. This summer in North America, France only finished fourth, which was seen as a disappointing result given the immense talent at Deschamps' disposal.

Indeed, some will argue that he should perhaps have won more silverware as France boss due to the quality of players available, but that's perhaps a harsh criticism because the nature of knockout football makes it incredibly difficult to maintain continued dominance.

According to Foot Mercato, Deschamps has been contacted by Man Utd "in recent days" in order to sound out whether he would be interested in the job. He has never coached in England, but he spent a year at Chelsea as a player at the turn of the millennium.

Deschamps has also been linked with his former club Juventus, where Luciano Spalletti is under pressure, by the Italian press, but the above-cited French outlet asserts that neither job really appeals to the 58-year-old.

Man Utd and Juventus are both in crisis, and that's not really what Deschamps wants at this stage of his career. It is also acknowledged that it's not entirely clear if the Red Devils even considered him a serious contender for the job in the first place.

Deschamps was keen on the Real Madrid vacancy in the summer, and while he was on the club's shortlist, they ultimately chose to bring back Jose Mourinho instead. Since that didn't work out, the Frenchman has been in no rush to make a decision on his next move.

He is currently enjoying time with his family after being dealt a devastating blow during the World Cup with the passing of his mother. Deschamps is prepared, if need be, to wait until the new season before getting back into the dugout.