Man Utd news: Gary Neville talks up potential Michael Carrick replacement as U-turn confirmed

Manchester United look like ending another season of upheaval by securing Champions League football. Michael Carrick has done a sterling job of lifting the side following the sacking of Ruben Amorim. Monday's win over Brentford put United on the cusp of a place in UEFA's blue ribbon competition. Carrick's side are now virtually assured of finishing in the top five but they will want to end the season with momentum by clinching third spot. They can go a long way to achieving that by completing a league double over fourth-placed Liverpool on Sunday. It's been a busy week off the pitch too, with a major contract signing and continued speculation over United's next manager if Carrick isn't retained. Here's a round-up of the latest United news… FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook page Kobbie Mainoo has completed a dramatic reversal of fortunes by signing a new contract that will keep him at United until 2031. Earlier this season it appeared Mainoo’s future might lie away from Old Trafford as he fell out of favour under Amorim and had a request to leave on loan in August rejected. But he has been rejuvenated under Carrick and a new deal has been in the works for several weeks. The midfielder started only one of United's first 22 games this season – the Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby in August – but since Carrick came in, he has started all but one game, playing a key role in United's resurgence. Director of football Jason Wilcox reacted to the news by calling Mainoo "one of the most naturally gifted young footballers in the world ," while the man himself said: "We can all feel the momentum building inside the club. I am determined to step up and play my role in helping Manchester United to regularly fight for major trophies in the years ahead." Gary Neville said Carrick would leave United with his head held high as he talked up Julian Nagelsmann as his potential replacement, although he stopped short of backing the Germany boss. While Carrick has put himself in contention to land the job on a permanent basis, there is also a feeling that United need a proven elite manager to take the club forward. One contender is Nagelsmann, who could be interested in the job after leading his country at the World Cup. Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Neville said: "Michael is probably one of the best lads you could ever meet and he's obviously intelligent. He's at the start of a coaching career. "The other day I thought it would be so classy and so Michael-like if he said, 'Guys, I've done what I came in to do. I've got you into the Champions League, I've re-stabilised the club, settled the place down. Now go and put someone in.' "Look, people say, 'Who would you put in?' And, this is not a pitch for Nagelsmann to be the manager of Manchester United – I haven't watched enough of his football. "But if I look at his work at Hoffenheim, his work at (RB) Leipzig, which is a serious coaching club, then he goes to [Bayern] Munich and wins the league, then takes Germany to the World Cup. And you say, 'Right, let's look at that coach.' That is a serious body of work." Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.