Manchester United have offered Michael Carrick the chance to extend his decade long stay at Old Trafford, and the veteran English midfielder is set to accept the Red Devils’ offer.
Michael Carrick has been one of the mainstays of the Manchester United midfield since moving from Tottenham Hotspur in 2006 for an initial fee of £14m. The 34-year-old midfielder’s contract was set to expire in June 2016, with no effort made by former manager Louis van Gaal to negotiate an extension.
However, the arrival of Jose Mourinho has given new life to Carrick’s Man United career. The club have assured him that he features in the two-time Champions League winning manager’s plans, and have offered him a one-year extension on his current contract, according to the Guardian.
“Mourinho’s track record speaks for itself. He’s a good fit for the club and hopefully he’ll do very well,” said Carrick of the former Chelsea manager.
“I have to say it’s sad to see anyone lose their job, the manager and staff, but good times are ahead.”
From player to mentor
Michael Carrick’s advancing years are catching up to him and the deep-lying play maker’s fitness has been a major issue for him in the past couple of seasons. Although his passing ability is still top notch, Carrick may have a lesser role to play at the club in 2016-17.
Manchester United will be in the market for a central midfielder in the summer, given the injury woes of Bastian Schweinsteiger and general inefficiency of Marouane Fellaini. Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera will have the chance to prove themselves under Mourinho, with Van Gaal only using them sparingly.
Michael Carrick may not feature in Mourinho’s long-term plans, but could prove to be an important member of the squad given his influence in the dressing room and his wealth of experience.
