Man Utd could face a huge bill to let Michael Carrick go, adding up to a big cost since Ferguson stepped down.
Even though Michael Carrick said his emotional lap around Old Trafford wasn’t a ‘goodbye,’ it seems like his time as Manchester United manager might be coming to an end after a tough 3-0 loss to Bournemouth. Managing this famous club has proven to be a huge challenge, and many think it’s more of a problem than a prize.
After that disappointing defeat, Carrick’s position is looking shaky. Sky Sports expert Jamie Carragher even suggested that Carrick ‘wants to be sacked’ and made a surprising call to bench star player Bruno Fernandes. If Carrick does get let go, it would be the eighth time Manchester United has fired a manager since legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson retired—and each time, it has been costly.
For example, David Moyes was sacked less than a year after taking over from Ferguson. People now think that was a quick and harsh decision, especially since the team he inherited wasn’t great. But a bad loss to his former club Everton showed just how tough things were, and with four years left on his contract, the club had to pay him a big payout.
Then there was Louis van Gaal, who lasted two years. Even though he won the FA Cup in his last game, the team’s poor results in the league meant he was let go just two days later, costing the club £8.4 million.
Jose Mourinho, the ‘Special One,’ holds the record for the biggest payout. Despite winning the Europa League, League Cup, and Community Shield, disagreements with the club’s leaders and bad league form led to his sacking. He had signed an extension but was fired five months in, which was very expensive for the club.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær took over in 2018 and had a good two and a half years before earning a new contract in 2021. But like Mourinho, he soon lost control of the team and had a series of bad defeats. Just four months into his new deal, the club decided to part ways with him, again costing a lot.
Ralf Rangnick stepped in after Solskjær but couldn’t fix things either. He had agreed to take the manager role temporarily and then move upstairs, but poor results stopped those plans. The club let him go and he took the Austria national job, likely with a nice payday.
In one of the toughest periods for United, Erik Ten Hag was fired in October 2024 when the team sat 14th in the Premier League. Even though he won two trophies, he couldn’t turn things around fast enough. Like others, he had a long contract which meant a big payout to end it early.
Ruben Amorim had one of the shortest spells as manager, lasting just 14 months. His time saw United finish with their worst Premier League position ever. He joined in November 2024 and still had years left on his contract.
If Carrick is sacked, reports say the club would have to pay another £12 million. He signed a two-year deal after starting as interim manager and earns about £6.5 million a year. But since he’s only been in charge a few months, he’s only been paid around £1.125 million so far.
With fans and even players like Lisandro Martinez criticizing recent spending on players, the huge amounts the club has spent firing managers is seen as an embarrassing problem for Manchester United’s management.