Micheal Carrick, a very familiar name to Manchester United supporters. Since his arrival from Tottenham Hotspur in 2006, the 35-year-old has played a pivotal role in the United midfield for years and this year too has been the same. Jose Mourinho has opted for a three-man midfield with the likes of Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba alongside him which has seen United marching on in the Premier League which includes a six-match unbeaten run.
Carrick signed a one-year contract extension to extend his stay till 2017. But with the season coming to an end he still hasn’t been offered a new contract till now and he made it clear that if the Red Devils won’t offer him a new contract he will take retirement after the season gets over. “I just can’t picture myself playing for anyone else – certainly any other club in England.”
One of the longest serving players at United after Wayne Rooney, Carrick has made over 400 appearances for the club. During his time at the club, he has won five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, Two League Cups, a FIFA Club World Cup, and a UEFA Champions League.
But If he does leave the club T4O thinks this three players could be the replacement of the 35-year-old.
Danny Drinkwater
The Red Devils were very keen to bring back one of their former players. Jose Mourinho was struggling to find the right midfield pair and had tried to secure the services of the Leicester City midfielder. Although N’Golo Kante attracted the most attention after their miraculous title triumph last season, Drinkwater also played a vital part in that.
His ability to win the ball more precisely in the middle of the park would be a valuable asset to any team. He loves to dictate the play from the deep and also initiate his team’s attacks. He had a Whoscored.com rating of 7.30 which is excellent for a midfielder. Pogba mainly helps the team by linking up the attack with midfield but his defensive attributes is not so good.
Toni Kroos
The midfielder was also a target for the Red Devils in 2014 when he was on the verge of a move to Real Madrid from Bayern Munich. Instead of him, United opted to sign Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao.
Kroos is regarded as one of the best central midfielders in the world. His precision passing and ability to instigate counter attacks could prove to be a handful for Mourinho.
Franck Kessie
Dubbed as the next ‘Yaya Toure’ Kessie would be a perfect signing for United. The midfielder has thrived at Atalanta this season and has a knack of surging upwards. The 20-year-old has already scored 7 goals this season and a number of big clubs have already expressed their interest in the midfielder.
