Man Utd take huge step to appointing Michael Carrick with talks to open THIS WEEK

Manchester United are ready to begin talks with Michael Carrick next week about making him their permanent boss. The former player has steered the ship impressively and club bosses are ready to sit down about a long-term gig. Carrick came in after the axing of Ruben Amorim and has gone on to win 10 out of 15 games, which has seen the Red Devils rise up to third as they return to the Champions League . Sky Sports reports that formal discussions are expected to begin before United's final game at Brighton on May 24. Carrick will be given the first chance to sit down with the club's hierarchy, but they have not totally ruled out the possibility of another candidate landing the manager's job. United have reached out to other individuals, but Carrick's impressive work since January has him in pole position. The ex-midfielder, who had a brief caretake spell at Old Trafford back in 2021, has impressed those above him with his popularity among the playing squad and his handling of the media. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox believe Carrick is the right man to lead United into next season, and are ready to put forward the case to Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The Ineos boss and United’s co-owner is the ultimate decision-maker on major calls, reports the Athletic. Despite the stellar run of results the Manchester outfit have been determined to stick by their original plan to scour the market for their next boss. The original plan was only to have Carrick in charge for the remainder of the campaign. His results have made him hard to ignore though. The 44-year-old has secured wins over Manchester City , Arsenal , Liverpool and Aston Villa . However the club have been keen to avoid a repeat of the scenario that saw them hand the job to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in 2019. The Norwegian was only supposed to fill the void in the dugout short-term when he arrived in late 2018, but he enjoyed an initial upturn in form and that saw those above him hand him the job, despite having little intention of doing so originally. Solskjaer would leave after three years without a trophy. United have been linked with some big name managers, several of whom have CVs that would dwarf Carrick's. Luis Enrique is on the cusp of leading PSG to successive Champions League titles, but is tipped to extend his stay with the Parisians. Julian Nagelsmann, who has led Bayern Munich , is preparing for the World Cup with Germany. Depending on their performance he could become available after the tournament, but there is a growing sense that United need someone appointed sooner rather than later. Having a manager in situ will aid their transfer plans. Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. 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.