Manchester United could consider hiring Julian Nagelsmann as their next permanent manager, and he has one big fan among United senior officials in Christopher Vivell, according to the Athletic.
Man United have a decision to make in the next weeks about deciding which direction they are going to go in terms of appointing their next boss.
Caretaker manager Michael Carrick has thrown himself right into the mix after taking 23 points from a possible 33 in charge to date, which has propelled the Red Devils up to third in the Premier League table.
Champions League football is the aim for Carrick and the club in the remaining half-a-dozen matches, and despite Monday night's disappointing defeat at home to Leeds United, they remain in a good position to qualify for the first time since 2023-24.
United lie seven points above sixth-placed Chelsea, knowing that a top-five finish will guarantee a spot in Europe's elite club competition next term.
Carrick's men have a huge opportunity to move a step closer to achieving that when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night.
Should they beat Liam Rosenior's men in the capital, they would be at least eight points clear of sixth-place, and that would depend on Brentford or Everton beating Fulham and Liverpool respectively.
Vivell is Friends With Nagelsmann
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann during a press conference
With United facing a key decision on who their next manager should be, Laurie Whitwell has questioned whether the club needs someone with a bigger personality than Carrick.
According to the report, several United players would want Carrick's interim role to become permanent at the end of the season, as they like his style of management, coaching staff and training sessions.
But Sir Jim Ratcliffe is known to like a manager who is an 'alpha' character, despite Carrick's impressive spell in charge to date.
Whitwell says that United are in no rush to make a decision on Carrick's future, and while they have done background checks on the managerial market, they are yet to conduct interviews with any managers.
One manager mentioned in the article who United could target is Germany boss Nagelsmann, who United director of recruitment Christopher Vivell is good friends with.
It is said that he would speak highly of the 38-year-old in any internal talks, with the pair working together at RB Leipzig previously.
GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed previously that Nagelsmann would be open to taking a club job this summer after the World Cup.
The Negatives of Appointing Nagelsmann
Julian Nagelsmann coaching the German national team
There is no doubt that appointing the elite Nagelsmann would have a lot of positives, given he is regarded as a genius tactician who has won a league title and managed in the Champions League - none of which Carrick has done.
But the 38-year-old would have to be seen as a slight risk given he has neither played in nor managed in the Premier League.
A bigger issue though perhaps, is the fact that Nagelsmann will manage Germany at this summer's World Cup.
The final of the 2026 World Cup takes place after United's first pre-season match this summer, which is hardly great timing should the 38-year-old take Germany that far in the competition.
It is something that could count against him in the race to be United's next permanent manager.