Carrick must – Michael Carrick is set to be confirmed as Manchester United’s head coach on a full-time basis, but the club faces a tense summer of rebuild: replacing key midfielders, clearing wages and exits, sorting Marcus Rashford’s Barcelona talks, and getting the best fr
Michael Carrick sat down at Carrington on Friday with a smile when asked about the worst-kept secret in football. and the answer was as clear as the next few days are supposed to be.. “The future for me is going to be decided pretty soon. we knew that. ” said the 44-year-old. edging closer to confirmation as Manchester United’s head coach on a full-time basis.
An announcement before Sunday’s final home game of the season at Old Trafford is widely expected, but the celebration of finally getting the job comes with a hard reality: United can’t afford the slow start that has already turned managerial comparisons into a growing drumbeat.
Carrick knows history will be dragged into every conversation, particularly Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.. Solskjaer’s legacy has been debated for years. but the numbers and moments are now part of the narrative—two full seasons that brought second and third place finishes. the Europa League final shootout defeat by Villarreal in 2021. and the destabilising effect of Cristiano Ronaldo’s return.. Carrick addressed the inevitable talk ahead of last weekend’s draw at Sunderland. insisting “the past is the past. ” whether it was success or not. interim jobs. or not getting the role.
He’s also aware of the perception around his Middlesbrough spell. where a solid start faded before he was sacked after two-and-a-half years in June of last year.. Winning is a results business. and Carrick knows the safest way to stop comparisons is a strong start next season—before parallels turn into pressure.
The first test is the midfield rebuild, and it’s not a small one.. Carrick has to replace Casemiro. with the Brazilian set for an Old Trafford farewell on Sunday before finishing up for good at Brighton the following weekend.. The impact is clear even in the margins: United lost three and drew one of the four Premier League games Casemiro did not start this season. underlining how central he has been.
Manuel Ugarte is also expected to leave this summer. despite arriving from Paris Saint-Germain two years ago in a £50million deal.. Carrick won’t be replacing their entire centre of the pitch, though.. Kobbie Mainoo has been brought back to his best under Carrick and has signed a new long-term contract only four months after asking to go out on loan to Napoli.
Even so. United could still end up buying three new midfielders. with around £150m earmarked across signings in the £80m. £40m and £20m brackets.. United are also expected to shop in other areas: a left back to replace Tyrell Malacia. who will leave as a free agent; a left winger; a back-up goalkeeper; and possibly a centre back after it emerged Matthijs de Ligt will miss the early part of the season due to back surgery.. With Champions League qualification secured for next season, the club will also be looking to increase squad depth.
That leads directly to the second major summer task: clearing the decks. Getting players out isn’t just about squad shape—it’s tied to generating transfer funds and creating extra space in the wage bill.
Casemiro, Malacia and Jadon Sancho are all set to go as free agents. Rasmus Hojlund’s loan at Napoli will automatically become permanent if Napoli qualify for the Champions League; they sit three points above the Serie A cut-off with two games left.
Beyond those straightforward exits, the biggest uncertainty centers on Marcus Rashford. Talks between United and Barcelona continue over a £26m option to buy in Rashford’s loan at the Nou Camp, but Barca are trying to reduce that figure or agree another loan for next season.
Rashford and United both appear reluctant for the player to return to his boyhood club. which would also mean Barca beginning to pay his £315. 000-a-week wages again.. Both sides want the matter resolved quickly. and interest is already there from Bayern Munich and Arsenal if the Barcelona talks fall apart.
There’s also a clear message in the goalkeeper situation.. Andre Onana is due back from his loan at Trabzonspor. but United have told the Cameroon goalkeeper he doesn’t figure in their plans for next season and should find a new club.. Current No 2 keeper Altay Bayindir is also expected to leave after United rejected an offer from Besiktas in January.
Another name that could move is Joshua Zirkzee, who looks closest to the door two years after a £36.5m move from Bologna. Zirkzee doesn’t fit into Carrick’s system and failed to take a rare chance at Sunderland last weekend.
If the summer is about who comes in and who goes out. the fourth challenge is getting what United already has back to its sharpest form.. Almost the entire squad has improved since Carrick and his backroom team began work in January after United ended Amorim’s troubled reign.. But there are two exceptions: Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo.
There were suggestions both were suffering after-effects from representing Ivory Coast and Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations over new year, returning in time for Carrick’s first game against Manchester City. Four months on, Diallo and Mbeumo still look short of their best.
Diallo was taken off at half-time in the recent win over Brentford. then made a costly mistake after being brought off the bench against Liverpool.. Mbeumo. meanwhile. looked unhappy to be replaced in the Liverpool game. and then was a substitute for last weekend’s draw at Sunderland.. When they’re on form. both are dangerous wide men. and they were often used on the same flank by Amorim. with Diallo as a right wing-back.
Carrick has been protective of the little Ivorian in recent weeks, but the next step is practical: he will need to find a way to get the best out of both players again.
For Carrick, the job may finally be his, but the scrutiny starts immediately—because Manchester United’s summer doesn’t wait for anyone’s honeymoon period.
Michael Carrick Manchester United Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Casemiro Ugarte Kobbie Mainoo Marcus Rashford Barcelona Onana Bayindir Amad Diallo Bryan Mbeumo