How much it might cost Man Utd to let Michael Carrick go after Ruben Amorim news comes out
Manchester United might face another big financial setback if they decide that hiring Michael Carrick was the wrong move. Last season, Carrick stepped in as interim head coach and helped the Red Devils secure a spot in the Champions League. Because of that success, he was made the permanent manager after Ruben Amorim was let go.
Amorim was dismissed in January, a decision that seemed smart since United’s form improved a lot in the second half of the Premier League season. Carrick helped them climb from outside the Champions League spots up to third place, so letting Amorim go looked like good business.
United’s latest financial report, released on Wednesday, showed they paid £8.2 million to Amorim and his team when he left. He still had 18 months left on his contract, and if he hadn’t quickly taken a job with AC Milan in June, United would have had to pay over £16 million. Football Italia reports that without Amorim’s fast move, United would have been stuck with a bigger bill.
Unfortunately for Carrick, this season hasn’t started as well as the last one ended. There’s growing talk about his future, and some say that if he’s sacked, it could cost United a similar amount of money. Carrick signed a two-year deal over the summer, earning around £6.5 million, making him the eighth highest-paid manager in the Premier League—a pricey figure if the club wants to make a change. Since he’s only three months into a 24-month contract, any decision would mean dealing with hidden details, including an option to extend the deal until 2029.
Carrick and United have struggled a bit in the 2026-27 season so far. They had an easy win against Sabah in the Champions League opener but got knocked out of the Carabao Cup after leading 2-0 against Brighton. Their league form hasn’t been great either. They managed just one win (a 5-2 victory against Ipswich Town thanks to Bruno Fernandes) in their first five Premier League games, starting with a 2-0 loss to newly promoted Hull City and ending the run with a last-minute draw at Fulham before the international break.
Losing the Manchester derby at home definitely didn’t help Carrick’s case, and he’ll be hoping the international break gives the team a chance to reset and come back stronger.