Wayne Rooney tells Manchester United they must make huge decision ASAP | Football

Wayne Rooney feels Manchester United can’t afford to wait to make a decision on their manager for next season as it will hamper their hopes in the transfer market.

Michael Carrick remains in interim charge of the Red Devils and the bookmakers’ favourite to land the job on a permanent basis.

Other possible candidates remain, including Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner and Julien Nagelsmann, but Carrick’s successful stint since January has put him in the driving seat.

A decision is yet to be announced, though, and Rooney feels the club could do with some certainty ahead of a huge summer transfer window.

The Red Devils are set to return to the Champions League next season and will need significant investment in the squad as they prepare for a much busier campaign ahead.

The club legend understandably feels that any transfer targets will be keen to know who the manager is at Old Trafford and Manchester United cannot afford to hang around into the summer to make an appointment.

‘Manchester United need to invest in players in the summer in order to compete in the Premier League next season, in the Champions League next season, which is where they want to be. They have to invest,’ Rooney said on Match of the Day.

‘They have to strengthen the squad and I don’t think there’s any denying that. Now, if I was a player and Man United wanted to sign me, the first question I’d ask, “Who is the manager? Does the manager want me?” So I think [they need] to have clarity on the manager.’

Rooney wants his former teammate Carrick to get the job after showing what he can do in recent months and for targets to know they would be coming into a settled squad, which has been picking up results.

‘I think for the club to announce him, I think they need to do it swiftly because they need to get players in. They need to get players to improve that team.’

Carrick has also mentioned clarity himself, but remains relaxed on when he discovers his fate.

‘Clarity is important … We’ve finished strong, put ourselves in a good position and the situation of my role and what it looks like moving forward, I think it’s just the natural time,’ he said last week. ‘It was always spoken about towards the end of the season, if not the end of the season.

‘At this stage it’s just putting the boys in a place to finish the season strongly and then, as I’ve said all along, I’m calm about it.

‘It’ll get sorted out when it’s going to get sorted out. It’s out of my hands, so we’ll see what happens.’

Carrick has two more games to complete his audition for the permanent role, firstly at home to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, then at Brighton the following weekend.

Barring a remarkable set of results, the Red Devils will finish third in the Premier League table, their best finish since Erik ten Hag managed the same position in 2022/23.

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