Man United are currently in contract talks to sign the former Premier League star in January, with the Red Devils looking to bring in interim manager Michael Carrick as soon as possible.
United announced Carrick’s return on Tuesday, following the sacking of Ruben Amorim last week after a tumultuous 14-month spell.
The 44-year-old, who made 464 appearances for the Red Devils between 2006 and 2018, reportedly impressed United bosses with his detailed plans for the remainder of the season, beating out Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Ruud van Nistelrooy for an interim role.
Carrick will be assisted by former England number two Steve Holland, along with Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binion.
His first game will be on Saturday when Man City visit Old Trafford for a derby before facing league leaders Arsenal.
The appointment marks Carrick’s second stint as caretaker manager following Solskjaer’s sacking, following a three-game unbeaten run in November 2021.
Premier League star gives Red Devils supporter permission to move to Man United
He spoke very openly of his desire to join them.
They won against Villarreal and Arsenal, but drew against Chelsea and famously left Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench against Stamford Bridge.
This time, however, Carrick’s task appears to be much more difficult.
The former Middlesbrough manager and United legend will no doubt be looking to impress enough to be considered for a full-time role, and qualifying for the Champions League would be great for that particular goal.
The Red Devils are still just three points behind Liverpool in the race for a top-four finish, but they have been helped by the fact that the fixture schedule is more hospitable in the absence of European football this season.
Still, Carrick will need the full backing of INEOS to lead United back to European football’s highest stage.
According to reports, the club want to sign a top-level midfielder, with the likes of Adam Wharton, Carlos Bareva and Elliott Anderson thought to be on United’s shortlist.
These moves look more likely for this summer, but in the meantime, United still appear to be looking to shore up Carrick’s engine room in January.
Manchester United hold talks with former Premier League midfielder
This afternoon, journalist Ben Jacobs reported via Football Terrace and Give Me Sport that United had held talks with the unnamed former Premier League midfielder in the past 24 hours.
Jacobs is not at liberty to remove players’ names, but he does give hints, including the fact that he has played in England’s top flight but is currently considering a trade outside the Premier League.
“There is one secret midfielder that Manchester United have been in talks with in the last 24 hours,” Jacobs said.
“They are in talks with at least one midfielder on loan on a short-term contract. We’ll see if it progresses or not.”
“I’m not in a position to reveal their names yet. They’re midfielders who can only be acquired on loan. They’ll be available until the end of the season, it’s relatively economical, they have Premier League experience and they’re currently playing outside England.”
It will be interesting to see who the player in question is as things continue to develop, but for now it’s safe to assume that United are at least planning on bringing in a new midfielder before deadline day.
This is a huge boost for Carrick. Currently, he has a big mission to overcome the fierce competition for a place in the top four.
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I made a pretty bold claim today.
