Michael Carrick enhances Man Utd job prospects as INEOS cool off from two elite Spanish coaches | OneFootball

Michael Carrick is firmly on course to become the next permanent head coach of Manchester United, TEAMtalk understands – and while a final decision will not be made until the end of the season, club bosses have at least opted against pursuing talks with two world-class coaches.

Carrick stepped in as interim boss in January following the departure of Ruben Amorim and has since guided Manchester United into the top three, putting them firmly on track for a return to the UEFA Champions League. With an impressive seven wins and just one defeat from his 10 matches at the helm, Carrick went into the international break with an impressive 70% win percentage ratio – and very much on track to land the permanent gig.

TEAMtalk can reveal that while United’s football department, led by director of football Jason Wilcox, has carried out extensive due diligence and explored multiple options, there has always been a strong internal belief that Carrick could earn the role outright if he proved himself the best candidate.

In light of that, sources indicate that Carrick’s case goes far beyond results on the pitch. His calm leadership, handling of the squad, and clear commitment to restoring United’s standards – including improvements behind the scenes in how staff and players operate – have all made a major impression on the club’s hierarchy.

We can also confirm that United’s talks with alternative candidates have slowed significantly in recent weeks…

Next Man Utd manager: INEOS veer away from other candidates

A major factor in United’s increasingly looking favourably towards Carrick came when Thomas Tuchel removed himself from contention after committing his future to England.

TEAMtalk also understands that intermediaries have put forward names such as Luis Enrique of Paris Saint-Germain and Unai Emery of Aston Villa, though those approaches have come from external parties rather than United themselves, who have not actively engaged in recent discussions.

With regards to Enrique, it was reported in The i Paper on Friday that the PSG boss would prefer to extend his deal with the reigning European champions anyway, thus making any faint hopes United had of a deal nigh-on impossible.

Other candidates, including Julian Nagelsmann, Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino have also been assessed during the process, though at this stage, none of that trio has been pursued with any vigour.

Despite that, United maintain they will wait until the season concludes before making a final call.

However, sources within the club have made it clear to TEAMtalk that Carrick is now the leading contender and very much on course to land the role permanently.

Man Utd latest: Midfield shortlist cut to three; Man City threaten Tonali deal

Meanwhile, United are reported to have cut their wishlist of Casemiro replacements down to just three names, with five players now ruled out of transfer contention and with the trio in question all looking strong certainties to secure moves this summer.

However, United’s interest in one of those – Sandro Tonali – looks to have suffered a major blow. That’s after sources exclusively revealed that Manchester City are ready to position themselves firmly in the mix for his signature – and could offer Newcastle their pick of four players to help sweeten the deal.

And if you missed our exclusive news on Friday, our sources can reveal that United have been offered the chance to sign a 15-goal Barcelona forward, who looks destined to leave the Nou Camp this summer.