Manchester United are reluctant to pay compensation to appoint a new head coach, whereas Michael Carrick would cost nothing to hire other than his salary.
In January, Michael Carrick succeeded Ruben Amorim as Manchester United head coach until the end of the season.
The Red Devils have enjoyed a remarkable run since then – winning six matches from seven and remaining unbeaten in the Premier League since the turn of the new year.
United are in contention to qualify for the Champions League as a result, sitting third in the Premier League table with 10 games left to play.
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Oliver Glasner and Michael Carrick
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How hiring Michael Carrick could be financially rewarding to Man Utd
One of the reasons Carrick became a serious contender to become the interim head coach was his availability. United were not going to hire someone already in a job to come in for the remainder of the season because they already had to pay for the compensation involved in Amorim’s dismissal.
After seeing off competition from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ruud van Nistelrooy, Carrick became head coach and has since proven himself in the role, winning six games and drawing one.
Those results have lifted the mood at Old Trafford, and Carrick could see himself in contention to remain in the job if he gets United back into the Champions League.
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Now, with that being a possibility, BBC Sport reporter Simon Stone claims United don’t want to pay a big compensation fee to acquire a new head coach.
The reputable journalist believes that this could give Carrick an even bigger edge, which hardly anyone has mentioned yet.
Carrick would cost nothing to hire other than his salary, which could be substantially less than the other candidates being mentioned, like Carlo Ancelotti and Julian Nagelsmann.
“Manchester United are trying to drive down the amount that they are paying,” Stone said on the Devils’ Advocate podcast.
“We say that, but we have paid Amorim a small fortune when we sacked him.
“I know, but they have sacked him though, haven’t they? So, that’s the caveat I would say about Luis Enrique. And Carrick would obviously cost a lot less.
“So, I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not sure what the market is. And secondly, I’m not sure that Manchester United really want to pay what it would cost to get the kind of manager that you’re talking about.”
Ancelotti is expected to remain Brazil manager. It would also take a big deal to lure Nagelsmann away from the Germany national team.
Thomas Tuchel extended his England deal, too.
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Michael Carrick passed Oliver Glasner test
Oliver Glasner was linked with the United job when Amorim got sent his marching orders, but that has changed since Carrick took the job.
United beat Palace 2-1 on Sunday to climb into third place, while Palace sit in the bottom half of the table despite a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the game, Carrick stressed that he was not thinking about Glasner as a contender for the job. The game itself took priority for the 44-year-old.
“Honestly, it doesn’t make any difference whatsoever,” Carrick told reporters last Friday, as quoted by ESPN.
“It’s total respect for Crystal Palace and Oliver, and in terms of the team that they are and the role that they’re doing.
“That’s no disrespect, it’s the next game for us and we’re in a position where we found ourselves at, and we’re in a decent spot, and we feel like we’re moving forwards. It’s just about what’s in front of us, and trying to get to where we want to be, which is a little bit higher the league.
“That’s literally all that I’m worried about at the moment.”
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