Carrick the latest victim: managerial failures cost Manchester United more than £100 million

Manchester United's compensation bill for appointing and sacking managers and sporting directors has surpassed 100 million pounds since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, should Mauricio Pochettino replace Michael Carrick.

Pochettino, the United States head coach, is the frontrunner to replace Carrick in the Old Trafford dugout.

To land him, United will have to meet the release clause in his contract with the United States Soccer Federation, believed to be worth around $10 million (£7.4 million).

Further compensation could follow to buy out the contracts of Pochettino's staff. Then come the severance payments owed to Carrick and his backroom team, estimated at £5 million alone.

Hiring Pochettino and sacking Carrick would push Manchester United's compensation bill since Ferguson's departure 13 years ago to just over £108 million, according to Britain's "Telegraph".

The newspaper called it a staggering sum for a club that has let 322 staff go over the past two years to cut costs. Manchester United have racked up losses of £444 million across the past seven seasons.

Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim last January, signed a two-year deal in May to stay on, and now leaves with more than 18 months left to run. The payoff for Carrick and his coaches Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate is expected to reach at least £5 million.

Appointing Amorim cost United £11 million to Sporting Lisbon in November 2024. Sacking the Portuguese and his staff cost another £8.2 million.

Erik ten Hag also won a contract extension, even after Manchester United had interviewed around six managers as potential replacements. The Dutchman and his staff were then dismissed after 116 days, costing the club £10.4 million.

Solskjaer's sacking in 2021 added a further £9.1 million. Ralf Rangnick arrived for six months on a deal that included a two-year advisory role once the 2021-2022 season ended.

He never took up that advisory role. His exit, along with the departure of his staff and other changes to the football operation, piled a further £14.7 million onto United's books.

Jose Mourinho holds the record for the biggest payout of the post-Ferguson era. His dismissal cost the club £19.6 million.

Louis van Gaal had left before him, departing after two seasons of a three-year contract in 2016 at a total cost of £8.4 million.

David Moyes replaced Ferguson in 2013 on a six-year deal. He lasted just ten months, and his dismissal cost Manchester United £4.9 million.

The club had already paid £2.4 million in severance to former Ferguson-era staff whom Moyes did not want to keep, including Mike Phelan and Rene Meulensteen.

Beyond the managerial merry-go-round, Manchester United spent months in 2024 chasing Dan Ashworth from Newcastle to become sporting director. They paid £3 million to appoint him, then £4.1 million to sack him after just five months.