Michael Carrick’s position at Old Trafford is said to be under serious strain, with Manchester United already sounding out possible successors should they decide to make a change. The situation is not yet settled, but the club are understood to have assembled a six-man shortlist, even if some of the names involved may prove unrealistic.

There is also reported disagreement behind the scenes. Technical director Jason Wilcox and recruitment chief Christopher Vivell are said to favour different options, adding another layer to a search that is already complicated by the status of several leading candidates.

Fabian Hürzeler was one of the first names to surface, and his bright start to the season with Brighton & Hove Albion has only strengthened that link. Yet optimism around a move is limited. Reports have suggested he could be United’s preferred choice, but doubts remain over whether he would accept the role, while The Telegraph recently stated it would take a “world-record fee” to persuade Brighton & Hove Albion to end his contract.

Antonio Conte has also been in the frame from the outset. Some Italian reports were quick to place him at the top of the list, though Conte has denied any current contact. He is, however, available immediately and is still seen as a serious contender.

Kieran McKenna has been discussed for months without the idea really advancing. His Old Trafford background makes him an obvious name, having worked in several roles there before his successful spell at Ipswich Town. He is currently free to take a new job.

Eddie Howe remains another strong option. Wilcox is believed to favour him, and his Premier League track record is admired. The concern is whether he is ready for the demands that come with Old Trafford.

Julian Nagelsmann is also being monitored. Vivell’s past connection with him is well known, and his experience at Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich gives him a strong case. United looked at him in May, and his status as a “leading candidate” has resurfaced.

Unai Emery has been mentioned too, with some reports placing him at the top of the wish list.

Declan Rice costs £7.3m before GW8, and we would approach a new purchase with caution. He offers set pieces and substantial playing time, but his goal threat and defensive contribution rate leave buyers relying on assists and bonus to justify that midfield spend.

Everton at home gives him a useful immediate fixture. You still need a reason to prefer him across your intended holding period. Existing owners face a different calculation: a cautious buying verdict alone gives you little reason to spend a transfer selling him before that match.

Start with the attacking return you need

Rice has averaged 84.4 minutes per match. Managers can value that involvement while recognising how he uses those minutes. His season-to-date expected attacking rates are 0.04 xG/90, 0.18 xA/90 and 0.22 xGI/90.

The assist component accounts for most of that expected involvement. His set-piece role gives him a route to returns, but a buyer expecting regular goals would need evidence of a stronger attacking role. At £7.3m, you should assess whether you want that spending power in a midfielder who creates chances or in one with more goal involvement.

These historical expected rates describe his performances so far. They do not forecast his next score. Rice can exceed them in a particular match; that possibility carries less weight than a repeatable role when you commit several weeks of midfield budget.

Treat defensive contributions as an extra route

Rice has recorded 9.29 DefCon/90 alongside his average of 84.4 minutes per match. That gives you another part of his scoring profile to assess, but it does not establish a dependable defensive contribution return in each fixture.

A per-90 average cannot tell you how often he will meet a match threshold. Individual fixtures vary, and average playing time also matters. Buying him on the assumption that defensive contribution points will compensate for low goal threat asks too much of that one rate.

We would want the purchase to make sense through his overall role and price. Treat any defensive contribution return as part of the upside you assess, rather than a fixed addition to your weekly points expectation.

Check the weeks you plan to start him

Arsenal host Everton in GW8, visit Liverpool in GW9 and host Hull City in GW10. You get two home fixtures around a more demanding away match. Assess that whole window before treating the Everton match as sufficient reason to buy.

A short-term purchase needs to justify both the arrival and any planned exit. A longer hold means accepting the fixtures beyond Hull: Newcastle away in GW11, Manchester City at home in GW12 and Brentford away in GW13. Choose your intended starts before committing the money.

You can compare midfield options in We Play FPL using performance data and upcoming fixtures, then map the transfer across your planned Gameweeks. Include the alternative use of the £7.3m in that comparison: a cheaper midfielder may let you improve another starting position, while a more attacking option may suit the same budget.

A cautious buy, with room for owners to hold

Our GW8 verdict is to demand a specific squad benefit before buying Rice. Secure involvement and set pieces help his case; 0.04 xG/90 and 9.29 DefCon/90 give us little reason to assume he will deliver goals or defensive contribution points on demand.

If you own him, Everton at home gives you a reason to hold while you address a clearer weakness elsewhere. Reassess if his role changes or your alternative improves the starting XI enough to justify the move. A new buyer can take more time to compare the full scoring profile before paying £7.3m.

The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has ruled that Ryan Gravenberch’s red card against Manchester City was correctly given earlier this month.

At the moment of the dismissal, the match was level at 0-0. City then made the extra man count almost immediately, with Erling Haaland putting them ahead three minutes later. By the time Liverpool had lost the Dutch midfielder, City had scored three times inside 16 minutes.

There was frustration from a Liverpool point of view, however, because the first yellow card shown to Gravenberch was viewed as severe. It was also described by Andoni Iraola as “not a yellow”.

“[Elliot] Anderson carries on a couple of steps [before falling]. [The referee] wasn’t even going to give a foul. I’ve no idea why he gives a yellow card. We have like nine players behind the ball,” the frustrated Liverpool manager told Sky Sports after the final whistle.

According to BBC Sport, the panel considered both yellow cards when reviewing the dismissal, as required under protocol. The vote was 4:1 in support of the officials. The single dissenting view was that the foul on Anderson should not have produced the first booking. Once that yellow had been awarded, though, the panel was unanimous in backing the VAR decision not to intervene after the second caution brought about the red.

The decision carries no practical punishment beyond confirming the officials were correct. Gravenberch has already completed the one-match suspension attached to the red, missing last weekend’s trip to Brentford. Liverpool won that game without him, helped by two Brentford red cards after falling behind in the first half.

Had the panel reached the opposite conclusion, the only outcome would have been an acknowledgement of the error and a promise to improve. Match officials could also have been left out of duty for a week. That did not happen here.