Romano reveals Man Utd decision on sacking Carrick and names two potential replacements

Fabrizio Romano has revealed an update on Michael Carrick’s future at Manchester United following a poor start to the 2026/27 campaign.

Carrick was named permanent Man Utd boss ahead of this summer’s transfer window, with INEOS deciding to keep him after he earned Champions League qualification by finishing third in the Premier League.

The club legend surpassed all expectations after succeeding Ruben Amorim, though he has endured a difficult start to the 2026/27 campaign.

Under Carrick, Man Utd have only picked up five points from their first five Premier League games, while they have also exited the Carabao Cup.

Therefore, Carrick and Man Utd are under pressure for this weekend’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur, with ex-Spurs and Chelsea boss Antonio Conte linked with the Red Devils as a possible replacement.

Man Utd reach decision on sacking Michael Carrick

On Monday, Conte teased Man Utd on his potential willingness to replace Carrick, though Romano has now insisted that INEOS are still backing the current boss.

“Manchester United is sending signals of confidence when it comes to Michael Carrick for one reason above all: the club feels it, believes the players are 100% behind the manager, there’s no fracture or break,” Romano told Affidabile.

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“But three defeats, two draws, and just two wins (at home to Ipswich and Sabah) in the last seven games are too few to remain safe.

“Improvement and a turnaround are needed to avoid the first clouds over Old Trafford: the names of Conte and Julian Nagelsmann, available after leaving Germany, are circulating for various reasons; the former Bayern player was on United’s list years ago.

“But the club persists, placing their faith in Carrick, hoping to improve and reverse the trend starting with the home match against Tottenham.”

Conte is also linked with Serie A clubs, but Romano has poured cold water on reports suggesting he could move to Juventus or AC Milan next.

“There has been no recent contact with Juventus, also because Giovanni Carnevali maintains his faith in Luciano Spalletti intact: the hope is that things can improve over time, although Conte’s name remains in the air as a figure inevitably linked to the black and white colours,” Romano added.

“And what about AC Milan? Conte’s presence at San Siro for the Milan-Benfica match had sparked rumours, but Gerry Cardinale wants to give Ruben Amorim time: he needs to see improvements and, above all, consistency as soon as possible, but Amorim has always made it clear to the management that he needs time to build ‘his’ AC Milan, and Cardinale has accepted this philosophy since June; we’ll move forward together.

“Instead, be careful of the international benches where these will be particularly intense weeks, under the spotlight.”

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