How much it would cost Man Utd to sack Michael Carrick after Ruben Amorim details emerge

Manchester United could face another huge financial hit if they were to decide that hiring Michael Carrick was a mistake.

The Red Devils qualified for the Champions League with Carrick as their interim head coach last season and went on to appoint their former midfielder as the permanent successor to ousted boss Ruben Amorim.

United finally cut Amorim loose in January, a move that proved fruitful thanks to their excellent form in the second half of the Premier League season. Carrick guided them from outside the Champions League places to third, and Amorim's severance could be considered good business.

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How much Man Utd could spend if Michael Carrick got the chop

United's financial results were released on Wednesday and revealed that the final figure paid out to Amorim and his backroom team totalled £8.2 million.

Amorim had 18 months remaining on his United contract, and the club would have been forced to fork out more than twice as much to clean house had Amorim not been hired by Serie A giants AC Milan in June.

"If he had not taken on a new job so quickly, then Manchester United would’ve been footing the bill for £16.7m to cover the rest of the contract," reports Football Italia.

Unfortunately for Carrick, the new season hasn't started with the same positivity as the last one ended. Speculation about his future is intensifying, and there are reports that his dismissal would set United back a similar amount again.

Carrick signed a two-year deal in the summer and earns a reported salary in the region of £6.5 million. That makes him the eighth best-paid manager in the Premier League and a very expensive man to dismiss – albeit not as expensive as some of the others around him.

Three months into a 24-month deal, any decision to make a change would require United to navigate contractual details that are not public. The optional extension to the summer of 2029 could also play a part.

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Is Michael Carrick under genuine threat of Man Utd sacking?

Carrick and United have endured a disappointing start in 2026-27.

They cruised past Sabah in the league phase opener of their Champions League return but were knocked out of the Carabao Cup despite going 2-0 up against Brighton & Hove Albion and haven't fared much better in the league.

Their Bruno Fernandes-inspired 5-2 win over Ipswich Town at the end of August was the only win in their first five Premier League matches, which started with a 2-0 loss against promoted Hull City and reached the extended international break on the back of a last-gasp draw away at Fulham.

Losing a Manchester derby at home will have done Carrick no favours whatsoever. He'll be hoping the international break can offer a chance to regroup instead.

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