Report: Ex-England star set to become new Man United coach after accepting terms

Manchester United have reportedly reached an agreement on all conditions with former midfielder Michael Carrick to become their next head coach.

The 44-year-old was most recently the head coach at Championship side Middlesbrough, where he was sacked in June. He had also held a caretaker position at Manchester United after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired and before Ralf Rangnick was hired.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the former Red Devils midfielder has accepted all conditions set by the club to become their new head coach; official agreement and confirmation are expected to follow shortly.

Manchester United’s managerial vacancy opened on January 5th when the club sacked Ruben Amorim after 14 months in charge, following a string of poor results and a controversial public criticism of club management. 

Veteran midfielder Darren Fletcher was appointed interim head coach for the immediate fixtures (including a 2–2 Premier League draw with Burnley and a 2–1 FA Cup loss to Brighton) while United’s hierarchy conducted a coaching search to appoint a successor.

During that period, United were linked with a range of managerial targets, including Enzo Maresca, Gareth Southgate, Xavi Hernandez, Oliver Glasner and a possible return for former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

Out of those options, Michael Carrick emerged as the leading candidate and agreed terms to take over as United’s new coach.

Reports claim that he had impressed club directors in interviews and is set to be confirmed ahead of the Manchester derby. 

Carrick, 44, has deep ties to the club: he made 464 appearances for United between 2006 and 2018 (winning five Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League among other honours) and began his coaching career on the Old Trafford staff after retiring in 2018, staying through multiple managerial regimes. 

He also previously served as United’s caretaker manager in 2021, overseeing two wins and a draw in three matches, including a 2–0 Champions League win at Villarreal,  before Middlesbrough appointed him as head coach in October 2022, where he guided the club to a Championship play-off spot before being dismissed in June 2025.