According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Michael Carrick is in pole position to land the permanent role at Manchester United.
Ornstein believes that things would have been different if coaches like Thomas Tuchel, Luis Enrique and Carlo Ancelotti were available.
But Tuchel has signed a new contract with England and is set to lead them at the 2026 World Cup.
Ancelotti will also be at the World Cup with Brazil, while Enrique is expected to extend his stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner and Marco Silva have been linked with United, but Carrick is currently ahead of them in the race for the managerial role.
Carrick was appointed as the Red Devils’ interim coach for the remainder of the season following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal in January.
The English boss has revived the club’s fortunes as they are on course to seal Champions League qualification for next season.
United currently sit third in the league table, with seven points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea.
The Red Devils’ target at the time of Carrick’s appointment was securing Champions League football.
If he achieves that, he would be in a very strong position to become the permanent manager.
United suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss to Leeds United on Monday following a first half brace from Noah Okafor.
They now face Chelsea in a crucial away fixture this weekend.
Losing at Stamford Bridge will reduce their gap with the Blues to just four points.
Stats from Transfermarkt
