Manchester United have offered interim manager Michael Carrick a two-year permanent contract with an option for a third year. According to The Athletic, co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has approved INEOS moving ahead with talks to make the appointment permanent, with both sides hoping to finalize the deal before the season ends.
Carrick took over the Red Devils after Ruben Amorim left in January, winning 10 of 15 matches and steering the club back into the Premier League top five while securing Champions League qualification for next season. Sky Sports reports that INEOS and Carrick will open formal talks within days; meanwhile, core players including Casemiro have publicly backed him staying on.
Casemiro said in an interview with Rio Ferdinand: “He deserves to stay — the team is getting better day by day.” The Brazilian midfielder, who is set to leave at the end of the season, also praised Carrick as calm and composed — after the away defeat to Newcastle in March, he “got through to the whole squad with real class” in the dressing room without losing his temper and shouting. Internal data shows Casemiro came off the bench six times in the Premier League this season for a total of 388 minutes, contributing one goal and two assists with five shots and three on target, with his form noticeably picking up in recent weeks compared to the first half of the season.
Beyond the contract framework, United plan to retain assistant coaches including Steve Holland and are considering bringing back popular set-piece coach Andreas Georgson from Tottenham. Carrick said before a recent match that “there will be clarity on the future very soon,” stressing that the club still needs to keep pushing upward.
Ferdinand has thrown his support behind Carrick but also said plainly that if Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique were available, “you’d go for him no matter what Carrick has done.” Enrique led PSG to another Ligue 1 title and will face Arsenal in the Champions League final; Romano had also previously reported that figures inside Manchester United have long admired Enrique. For now, the short-term answer still points to Old Trafford.
On the schedule, United’s final game of the season is at Old Trafford on Sunday against Nottingham Forest. The sides met in the league on 17 May, with United winning 3-2; if his contract is finalized this week, Carrick will see out the 2025-26 season as permanent head coach.
