Michael Carrick will have to take a huge pay cut in order to stay at Manchester United, according to reports.
The midfielder’s future is yet to be decided, although United are unlikely to be hurried about the situation. The 35-year-old only has less than six months left on his contract. Considering his age, however, United will be taking a relaxed approach towards offering him a new deal. Carrick has been an integral part in the United first team over the last few months. Despite his age, he has been able to perform in excellent fashion so much so that manager Jose Mourinho wished that the player was five years younger.
Carrick has been attracting attention from Arsenal, who are searching for an experienced campaigner to sit in front of the back four. The gunners suffered yet another setback in the race to win the first title since 2003-04, as they lost 3-1 to Chelsea during the weekend. There have been massive protests against manager Arsene Wenger, but work has been going on behind the scenes in order to bring in players like Carrick.
The midfielder is currently on wages of around £ 130,000 per week – making him among the highest-paid stars at the club. United are ready to offer the player only around £ 70,000 per week in order to extend his stay at Old Trafford by a year.
Since coming to Manchester United in an £ 18 million back in 2006, Carrick has become one of the greatest players in the club’s history. He has managed to win every major honours including the UEFA Champions League, while also winning the Premier League title an astonishing five times. After struggling to get first team opportunities at the start of the season, Carrick has become indispensable to the United’s good run over the last couple of months.