Michael Carrick has agreed a two-year deal to continue as the permanent Manchester United head coach, with an option that could keep him at Old Trafford until at least 2029, the club confirmed as final legal details were still being sorted.
The move follows a run of form that forced the club’s hand: Carrick secured Champions League football after 15 games in charge, winning 10 and drawing three of those fixtures, and beating Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea along the way. Another count of the run shows United took 11 victories and three draws in 16 fixtures to clinch third place and return the club to the Champions League after a two-season absence — a finish that represents the fifth top-three placing since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
United were hopeful of making a formal announcement within 24 to 48 hours once the legal paperwork was completed, and the decision had the backing of the club’s leadership. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox were reported to be aligned on Carrick’s future, and Wilcox and Berrada believed Carrick was the right person to continue leading the team.
That backing came after a turbulent search earlier in the year. The club explored a move for Luis Enrique and, according to a widely circulated report, some senior figures secretly dreamed of bringing him in. Fabrizio Romano said: "Look, on Luis Enrique I can tell you that he was the secret dream of some important, important people at Manchester United. So Man United around January, February tried to understand if there was maybe a chance to land Luis Enrique to the club this summer. Was not possible because Luis Enrique is completely focused on the Paris Saint-Germain Project." Paris Saint-Germain, Romano noted, had won three consecutive Ligue 1 titles and two French Cups and lifted the Champions League trophy last season, underscoring why a switch there was unlikely.
There is a narrower story running alongside the manager search. The club has also held exploratory talks over Maxi Araujo as links to a replacement surfaced while United sought a high-profile arrival after Ruben Amorim departed earlier in the year; the internal report on those talks can be read at But the immediate priority shifted to stabilising results and securing Champions League qualification, a task Carrick delivered in short order.
Carrick himself has been frank about the timing of his future. On Friday he said: "The future for me is going to be decided pretty soon" and added, "We knew that was going to be towards the end of the season, if not the end of the season, so nothing's changed. There's no big swing on that. Obviously whatever's beyond that is pretty close around the corner anyway." He stressed the importance of communicating with the squad, saying: "I think a speech is important, regardless of the situation" and arguing that there is "understanding the position we want to get to from where we've been and understanding what steps that takes." He warned there is "no magic ingredient. It's hard work, a bit of brains, a bit of intelligence and good players as well."
Not everyone accepted the appointment as an automatic cure. As one former United captain put it bluntly: "I’m guessing the remit for him was to get in the Champions League, they’ve done that but there’s still huge problems ahead. Was he still the best option out there? We obviously don’t know what other managers they spoke to. But the fact he was winning football matches… but still huge problems at United. Huge problems." That warning frames the challenge Carrick inherits even with a longer-term contract.
For now the narrative is straightforward: Carrick’s short-term record delivered the objective the club set and the hierarchy has moved to formalise his role, while scouting and exploratory conversations over targets such as Maxi Araujo and the earlier Luis Enrique interest underline that United intend to pair managerial continuity with further recruitment and planning. The club expects to complete the paperwork and make the appointment public within the next 24 to 48 hours.
