Exclusive: Middlesbrough ready to open talks with Carrick as Premier League interest grows
Middlesbrough are looking to open talks with manager Michael Carrick and want to tie him down to a new long-term deal before the end of the season, TEAMtalk can reveal.
Carrick arrived at Boro last season, saving them from relegation and leading them to an unlikely promotion charge. The boss has recently been linked with a possible move to former club West Ham as David Moyes’ long-term future remains unclear.
The 42-year-old is contracted to Boro until 2025 but chairman Steve Gibson is keen to reward him for his impressive run and seal his long-term future.
So far this season, the former Man Utd man has taken charge of 20 games, with 11 wins, three draws and six losses in all competitions. His side currently sit tenth in the Championship after 16 matches.
Although Carrick’s managerial career is in its infancy, he has already had a crack at the top league when he took over as caretaker boss at Old Trafford for three matches after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked. He led the Red Devils to wins over Villarreal and Arsenal and drew with Chelsea before the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as a longer-term interim manager.
Carrick ended his playing career back in 2018 and worked as a coach under Solskjaer as well as Jose Mourinho and has proven himself as Middlesbrough manager after narrowly missing out on promotion last term.
Carrick’s Boro side were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Coventry City in the Championship play-off semi-final after finishing fourth in the league, five points behind Luton Town who were eventually promoted.
West Ham keen on Carrick
The Hammers have struggled recently – the Europa Conference League win of last season a real saving grace for David Moyes who had been having a tough time in the Premier League.
His current contract at the London Stadium is due to expire in 2024 and it is unclear if he will be offered an extension to his deal.
According to the Daily Mail, the Hammers are instead willing to offer Moyes the opportunity to move away form the touchline and take up a role behind-the-scenes at the club.
Technical director Tim Steidten is believed to be keen to appoint a younger, more exciting manager in his place.
Journalist Paul Brown has suggested that Carrick’s lack of experience could be off-putting for the Hammers. He clearly still has a lot of learning to do and may not be ready to take over a club like West Ham just yet.
There is also no concrete indication that Moyes will be on the way out in the summer. He has had a decent start to the season so far and the Hammers currently sit ninth in the league but are only two points behind sixth-place Man Utd.