Manchester United are set to begin talks next week about handing over the role of permanent manager to Michael Carrick. The former United player has led the club to great success and the leaders are ready to sit down and scrap the long-term deal.
Carrick took over as manager following the sacking of Ruben Amorim and has since won 10 of 15 games, pushing the Red Devils into third place and securing a return to the Champions League. Sky Sports claim formal negotiations are expected to begin ahead of United’s final game at Brighton on May 24th.
This will give Carrick his first opportunity to meet the club’s leadership, although the possibility of an alternative candidate taking the managerial post has not been completely ruled out.
United have made contact with others, but Carrick’s outstanding work since January has ensured he secures pole position. The former midfielder briefly served as caretaker manager at Old Trafford in 2021, impressing those above him with his popularity in the dressing room and solidity with the media.
Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox are convinced that Carrick is the right person to lead United next season and will make their case to Sir Jim Ratcliffe as first choice.
Despite their impressive run of form, the Manchester outfit are adamant about sticking to their original blueprint of searching the market for their next permanent manager. The original plan was for Carrick to remain in charge for only the remainder of the season.
But his accomplishments have made him increasingly difficult to overlook. The 44-year-old has enjoyed impressive wins against Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa. However, the club wanted to avoid a repeat of the situation that saw them hand the reins to Ole Gunnar Solskjær in 2019.
The Norwegian was originally appointed as a short-term stopgap when he took over at the end of 2018, but bosses urged him to hand over the position permanently in the hope of an upturn in performance, despite not initially wanting much. Solskjaer would leave three years later without a single trophy to his name.
United have been linked with several high-profile managers, many of whom have far more experience than Carrick. Luis Enrique is widely expected to extend his spell at the Parisians as he attempts to lead PSG to back-to-back Champions League titles.
Former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann is currently preparing the German national team for the World Cup. Depending on his performance, he could be appointed after the tournament ends, but there is a growing belief that United need to appoint someone early. Having a manager firmly in place could prove crucial to their transfer activity.
