Michael Carrick is close to being appointed Manchester United’s head coach on a permanent basis, with the club offering him a two-year contract plus the option of a further 12 months. The deal could be completed before Manchester United face Nottingham Forest on Sunday lunchtime, capping a sharp turnaround since Ruben Amorim was sacked.
Manchester United were sixth when Amorim went, and they now sit third with two games remaining, six points above Liverpool. Carrick has overseen 10 wins in 15 Premier League matches in interim charge, a run that secured a return to the Champions League and pushed the club toward a clearer future after months of uncertainty.
Carrick did not confirm his next move when he spoke on Friday, but he made plain that the answer was close. He said his future would become clear “pretty soon” and added: “There’s two games to go; apart from that there’s not much else to say.”
The timing matters because Manchester United want clarity before a busy summer, and the club’s leadership has already settled on the direction it wants to take. Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox want Carrick to stay on, and the sense around the club is that the results under his watch have done more than keep the season alive — they have changed the discussion around who should lead it next.
Carrick spoke warmly about the scale of the job and the relationship he has built with supporters since stepping in. “The situation is pretty clear for us all. Same as in preparing for the game. It’s a unique football club, a special club,” he said. He added: “Immensely proud to have come back and been a part of it, as a supporter and ex-player. As a pure supporter, to be in a position to come back and help and move forward was important. To make a big step, and back in the Champions League is good, we’re happy with the work we’ve done so far.”
That connection with the crowd is also why Carrick is expected to address supporters after Sunday’s match whatever happens with the paperwork. “That’s important anyway – the supporters are a massive part of this club,” he said. “We thank them for the season and the support, the last four months for me personally. Regardless of that, for what we’ve gone through and that connection. The players have felt that.”
There is still work to do on the pitch, and United’s squad is starting to thicken again. Casemiro has recovered from the injury that ruled him out at Sunderland, while Matthijs de Ligt has undergone back surgery to address a problem that has kept him out since November. De Ligt is due to return early next season.
For Manchester United, the immediate question is no longer whether the campaign can be rescued. It has been. The question now is whether Carrick’s interim surge becomes the foundation of the next phase, and whether the club will make it official before the team walks out again on Sunday.
