Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick remains the favourite for the permanent role, but Julian Nagelsmann has emerged as a serious candidate.
The Premier League giants handed the reins to their former midfielder in mid-January after sacking Ruben Amorim.
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This proved to be a savvy decision, as the 44-year-old has been enjoying a solid run, winning eight, drawing two and losing two of his 12 matches in charge. These results placed Man Utd in third place, and they’re now on the cusp of securing Champions League football.
Man United officials still have reservations about Michael Carrick confirmation
After restoring serenity at Carrington, many believe Carrick should be entrusted with the permanent role, especially amidst the lack of elite profiles on the market.
Man Utd were previously linked with the likes of Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti, England head coach Thomas Tuchel, and PSG’s Luis Enrique, but all of them are destined to extend their current tenures.
As reported earlier on Friday by Fabrizio Romano, MUFC officials are ‘very happy’ with Carrick, who is now the favourite for the role.
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But according to reliable club insider SullyTalkz, the management is still hesitant to confirm the 44-year-old, as they’re still uncertain whether the latter has the ability to deliver good results in the long run.
“One thing I’ve heard is that there is a level of hesitation and wariness amongst senior officials regarding Carrick,” posted the journalist on his X account.
“This doesn’t mean he won’t get the job, but there are concerns regarding whether he can play a sustainable brand of football long-term and be the man to win us trophies, given his experience.
“I expect some level of formal talks with candidates in the near future; however, it’s not inaccurate to say Carrick is in the lead.”
The manager situation has been one of uncertainty and confliction with a lot of fans confused on what the club are actually doing, so I’m going to try give a bit of an overview from what I’ve heard, as of the time i’m tweeting this.
It’s been very well reported that Michael…
— Sully (@SullyTalkz) April 23, 2026
Man Utd made contact with Julian Nagelsmann but it remains a complicated track
While Sully agrees that Carrick remains in pole position, he believes that Nagelsmann is a serious candidate as well.
In recent days, it has been reported that Man Utd Head of Recruitment, Christopher Vivell, is planning to use his personal relationship with Nagelsmann to lure him to M16. The two men had previously collaborated at RB Leipzig.
Nagelsmann’s Career Stats
Period
Matches in Charge
Points per Match
Germany
September 2023 – Present
31
2.03
Bayern Munich
July 2019 – March 2023
84
2.31
RB Leipzig
July 2019 – June 2021
95
1.94
Hoffenheim
January 2016 – June 2018
136
1.53
Sully has confirmed that United have indeed discussed the Germany head coach internally, with Vivell vouching in his favour.
The source also reveals that a contact has been made with the ‘outstanding’ manager, who is ‘open’ to join, although the upcoming World Cup remains the biggest obstacle.
“Julian Nagelsmann is admired internally, with some form of contact with his representatives held, just to see his availability and viability. MUFC have liked him for years now and wanted him when Ten Hag got sacked. Vivell has advocated for him internally.
“The main obstacle has always been and will be the World Cup, as the German manager is open to joining. Jason Wilcox, Omar Berrada and co all know this decision could potentially impact the club’s futures for the next decade, given the failure of how they dealt with the ten Hag and Ruben Amorim situation.”
Nagelsmann is tied to the German national team until 2028. However, many sources in the country believe that his fate with ‘Die Mannschaft’ hinges on the World Cup, which certainly poses an issue for Man Utd, who cannot wait until July to find out whether or not the manager will be available.
The Red Devils would like to sort out the situation by the end of the season, and if Nagelsmann is unable to give his word at the right time, the directors are likely to take the safe option by maintaining Carrick, of course, barring a late collapse in the race for Champions League spots.