Michael Carrick’s future at Manchester United is uncertain after a miserable start to the season.
Manchester United could face another huge financial blow if they decide that the hiring of Michael Carrick was a mistake.
Liverpool no doubt have a challenge with Florian Wirtz
The Red Devils qualified for the Champions League with Carrick as interim head coach last season, and ended up hiring their former midfielder as the permanent successor to sacked boss Ruben Amorim.
United eventually cut ties with Amorim in January – a move that proved fruitful thanks to the club’s excellent form in the second half of the Premier League season. Carrick led them from outside the Champions League places to third place, and Amorim’s severance package could be considered good business.
This is how much Machester United could have to pay if Carrick is sacked
United presented their financial results on Wednesday, revealing that the final sum paid to Amorim and his support staff totalled £8.2 million.
Amorim had 18 months left on his contract at United, and the club would have been forced to fork out more than twice as much to clean up if Amorim hadn’t been hired by Serie A giants AC Milan in June.
“If he hadn’t taken a new job so quickly, Manchester United would have had to pay £16.7 million to cover the rest of his contract,” reports Football Italia.
Unfortunately for Carrick, the new season has not started with the same optimism that the previous one ended with. Speculation about his future is intensifying, and it is reported that a possible dismissal would cost United a similar amount again.
Carrick signed a two-year contract this summer and earns a reported salary of around £6.5 million. That makes him the eighth highest-paid manager in the Premier League – and a very expensive man to sack, although not as expensive as some of the others around him. – Two years is £13 million.
Three months into a 24-month deal, any decision to change would require United to navigate contract details that are not public. The optional extension until the summer of 2029 could also come into play.
They cruised past Sabah in the opening stages of the Champions League return but were knocked out of the Carabao Cup despite leading 2-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion – and things haven’t fared much better in the league.
Their Bruno Fernandes-inspired 5-2 win over Ipswich Town at the end of August was the only win in their first five Premier League games, which started with a 2-0 defeat to newly-promoted Hull City and reached the long international break after a point in injury time away to Fulham.
Losing a Manchester derby at home has done Carrick no favours. He hopes the international break can provide a chance to gather instead.
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