Carrick 'favourite' for permanent Man Utd appointment after twist in next manager job race

Suraj Radia

19 Feb 2026 15:43 GMT
4 min read

Michael Carrick is emerging as the favourite candidate to become Manchester United’s new manager on a full-time basis after an impressive start to life at Old Trafford.

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Carrick was appointed as interim manager in January following Ruben Amorim’s sacking and he began his tenure by leading United to four-straight wins for the first time in two years, including impressive victories against Manchester City and Arsenal.

United had initially only expected Carrick to be a safe pair of hands until the end of the season but the i paper reports that he now stands ‘as good a chance as any’ to get the job permanently.

Carrick is said to have impressed club officials with his ‘relaxed aura’ as a man of ‘few but meaningful words’, which has calmed waters after a turbulent end to Amorim’s time at United.

There has also been appreciation for Carrick’s backroom staff who have provided the ‘perfect balance’, such as Jonathan Woodgate, who has worked with defenders such as Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven individually and ‘surprised many’ with his tactical insights, as well as the experience of assistant head coach Steve Holland.

Carrick has also been a more prominent figure than Amorim at academy matches, something which has ‘not gone unnoticed’ given United’s priority towards youth players, which is slowly convincing officials that they may have their new manager already at the helm.

Carrick in pole position with prime candidates slowly being ruled out

However, arguably the biggest boost to Carrick’s chances have come with a number of alternative options slowly dropping out of the race for the full-time job.

Thomas Tuchel is said to have been one of the hierarchy’s ‘top picks’ but the German extended his contract with England last week, while Carlo Ancelotti is also set to commit his future to his job with Brazil.

© IMAGO - Thomas Tuchel was considered a top pick for the Man Utd job before extending his contract with England.

Meanwhile, rumours have long-circulated that Luis Enrique is seeking a new challenge from Paris Saint-Germain but French sources have been ‘adamant’ that the Spaniard is close to signing a new deal with the Ligue 1 giants, which would rule him out of contention for United.

Roberto de Zerbi is another name that has appeared in recent days after he left Marseille earlier this month but the Italian is ‘under serious contention’ for the Tottenham job, which he is said to be keen on.

There are also doubts over Oliver Glasner’s suitability even with the Crystal Palace coach announcing he would be leaving in the summer, with some fearing the Austrian is of the same level as Amorim – an appointment which the board acknowledge they got wrong as he was not ready for a role of United’s magnitude.

With the club in good hands currently, United will not make any approaches for a new coach for the time being and conversations will start towards the end of the season, leaving Carrick in pole position to become the club’s long-term manager going forward.

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