Michael Carrick is now the frontrunner to become Manchester United’s interim head coach for the rest of the season.
This follows direct talks between Carrick, former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and the club’s leadership. The club has stated no final choice has been made, but an announcement is expected within the next two days.
Carrick, 44, has history in this role, having taken temporary charge for three matches after Solskjaer left in 2021. A former United midfielder, he won multiple major honors during his 12 years as a player at Old Trafford. He has been without a management job since leaving Middlesbrough last summer.
Darren Fletcher, who has been in caretaker charge for the last two games, could now move to assist Carrick. The club is also thought to be considering bringing in an additional coach to support the interim setup.
The search for an interim coach has been led by director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada, with approval needed from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family.
The club will focus on appointing a permanent manager once the interim situation is resolved. They dismissed previous manager Ruben Amorim a week ago after a breakdown in their working relationship. Amorim had been in charge for 14 months after joining from Sporting CP in late 2024.
For Manchester United, a 40-game season is a new low (in more ways than one)
It is 111 years since the club last played so few games in a season, the result of damaging cup losses and an absence of European football