It was a shocking day for Manchester. Michael Carrick was confirmed as Manchester United’s new permanent manager on Friday afternoon, with Pep Guardiola’s departure from the Etihad also officially confirmed.
The Catalan manager has ruled English football for 10 years, but in 2022, as Erik ten Hag predicted, “it will be the end of an era”. Guardiola resigned as manager after failing to win the Premier League title in each of the past two seasons.
With Jurgen Klopp already at Anfield and Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in turmoil, there could well be a changing of the guard in the top flight.
With a third-place finish already assured and solid footing, now is the time for Carrick and United to take their chances and build a squad that can once again compete for major honours, ahead of next season.
Manchester United close to agreeing personal contract with Carrick on first contract
Sadly, there are no secrets in football these days and Carrick’s appointment, along with Guardiola’s departure, has been widely reported in recent weeks.
His surprise announcement on the Old Trafford turf last weekend may have worked, but the Englishman will at least go into the final game of the season with his future secured and ready to take charge for pre-season and, hopefully, his first full season.
The 44-year-old was rewarded for taking a previously unstable United team comfortably back into the Champions League, but that success has been somewhat overshadowed by the first-team squad being in dire need of reinforcements, as defeats to the likes of Leeds United and Newcastle United have shown.
Manchester United – Recent league finishes | ||
|---|---|---|
season | manager | PL finish |
25/26 | carrick | 3 |
24/25 | Amorim | 15 |
23/24 | Tembabaa | 8 |
22/23 | Tembabaa | 3 |
21/22 | Rangnick | 6 |
20/21 | solskjaer | 2 |
19/20 | solskjaer | 3 |
18/19 | solskjaer | 6 |
But the first signing of the summer could be on the horizon, with journalist Ben Jacobs in the United Stand providing an update on INEOS’ pursuit of Atalanta star Ederson.
According to Jacobs, the Brazilian is ready to join Carrick’s squad and is happy with a five-year deal, with the 26-year-old being one of a number of targets the club is close to agreeing on personal terms.
This follows previous reports suggesting that Ederson is currently in the final 12 months or so of his contract and that United were confident of finalizing a deal for the £39m player quickly.
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The chaotic summer of 2024 did not get off to a good start for INEOS, with the likes of Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee already set to leave the club, and Nousser Mazrawi and Matthijs de Ligt having been plagued by injuries this season.
However, since the start of 2025, the new regime seems to be on track, starting the year by signing Aiden Haven and Patrick Dorg in January.
In Dorg’s case, the 20-year-old was a relative unknown after joining from Serie A side Lecce, making just 57 appearances for the Italian side at that stage.
Over the next six months or so, the Dane took time to adjust to life in English football, with a memorable red card against Ipswich Town.
But then the 2025/26 season saw a real upswing, with Dorg impressing at home against the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle, as well as scoring his second goal against Guardiola’s Manchester City, Carrick’s first game back in charge.
The versatile youngster appears to have the physical attributes needed to thrive in the Premier League, with his speed and power down the left flank being his strengths.
Although Ederson is an advanced player at 26 years old, he could be another surprise hit in Manchester, although doubts have now been raised as to whether the deal is simply a Mark 2 for Ugarte.
Well, like Dorg, the South American’s physicality and mobility should ensure that he, who was hailed as a “monster” by journalist Ryan Taylor in Bergamo, is a very good fit for the modern style of Premier League football.
United’s target was particularly notable when Atalanta defeated previously unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 Europa League final, becoming a machine in the attacking number eight role.
In the 3-0 win, Ederson dominated in the center of the park, completing 100% of his tackles, 100% of his dribbles, 100% of his aerial duels, and winning 6 out of 10 ground duels.
Against Leverkusen’s midfield, which includes Granit Xhaka, the £39m star proved he can shine in the big moments.
Of course, he won’t be United’s marquee player this year, but like Dorg, he could surprise a few if given time to adapt after leaving Italy for England.
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