Despite Michael Carrick’s impressive audition, Manchester United are yet to make a call to the manager and Wayne Rooney insists lack of clarity will be an issue when it comes to transfers
Michael Carrick has been very successful but has not been appointed full-time (Image: Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Wayne Rooney believes continued uncertainty surrounding Manchester United’s management situation could have a negative impact on next season, and has suggested his potential transfer targets want to know who is their manager.
The Red Devils had an excellent second half of the season, moving up to third place and securing a return to the Champions League. Michael Carrick led the turnaround, winning 10 of 14 games.
United’s European football and subsequent income will allow them to invest in the team, prioritizing a midfielder. They are rumored to be linked to the likes of Elliott Anderson, Adam Wharton and Sandro Tonali, as they aim to sign autographs for blockbuster players in the middle of the park.
However, Rooney insisted that incoming players will want to know what the manager wants and how they fit into the manager’s plans, but that failing to ensure they play their role will have a negative impact.
He told Match of the Day: “Manchester United need to invest in players in the summer to compete in next season’s Premier League, next season’s Champions League and that’s where they want to be. They have to invest. They have to strengthen the team and I don’t think there’s any denying that.”
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“If I was a player and Man United wanted to sign me, the first thing they would ask is: ‘Who is the manager? Does the manager need me?’ So I think Man United should be clear about the manager.”
Rooney himself believed that Carrick needed a full-time job, adding: “I think we need to be quick in announcing him because the club needs to bring in players. We need to bring in players to improve the team.”
United have so far resisted calls to give Carrick a full-time job. The original plan for firing manager Ruben Amorim was to let Carrick go until the end of the season, then look elsewhere for a permanent manager.
Adam Wharton has been linked with a move to Manchester (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
Carrick had no Premier League experience apart from a brief stint as interim manager at Old Trafford and was turned away by Middlesbrough. But his record, which includes wins against Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, makes him difficult to ignore.
However, United’s hierarchy involves several figures who have won league titles or surpassed Premier League resources. PSG’s Luis Enrique and Germany national team manager Julian Nagelsmann are among them, while outgoing Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has also been named.
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