Michael Carrick has emerged as the leading candidate to be appointed Manchester United’s caretaker head coach, with club officials keen to have an appointment in place before players return to training on Wednesday.
Although a final decision has yet to be confirmed, talks are understood to be at an advanced stage with the 44-year-old former midfielder.
Carrick previously served as United’s temporary manager for three matches following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal in 2021, recording two wins and a draw before stepping aside after Ralf Rangnick’s appointment as interim boss.
United parted ways with manager Ruben Amorim on 5 January after 14 months in charge.
Darren Fletcher was initially placed in temporary control of first-team duties following Amorim’s departure, but Sunday’s FA Cup third-round defeat to Brighton is expected to be his second and final match in charge.
Fletcher had earlier overseen a Premier League draw away at struggling Burnley last Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly held face-to-face discussions with the club on Saturday about a potential return.
Carrick, a former England international, made 464 appearances for United between 2006 and 2018 after joining from Tottenham under Sir Alex Ferguson.
He has been without a job since leaving Championship side Middlesbrough last June after two and a half years in charge.
During his time at the Riverside Stadium, Carrick guided Middlesbrough to the Championship play-offs in the 2022–23 season, where they were eliminated by Coventry City in the semi-finals.
His side narrowly missed out on the top six in the following campaigns, ultimately leading to his departure.
After retiring from a distinguished playing career at Old Trafford, Carrick joined José Mourinho’s coaching staff at United at the end of the 2017–18 season.
He remained part of the first-team coaching setup following Mourinho’s dismissal and served throughout Solskjaer’s 168-game tenure as manager.
