Gary Neville has made it no secret that his first-choice candidate for the Manchester United job is Carlo Ancelotti, but the experienced Brazil national team coach has plans in place after the 2026 World Cup.
Manchester United have yet to make a decision over who will be head coach for the 2026/27 campaign and, hopefully, beyond.
Michael Carrick became the head coach until the end of the season after Ruben Amorim was sacked in January. The 40-year-old Portuguese coach was dismissed after a poor run of results as doubts grew over whether United could secure qualification for European football next season.
While most United fans would have taken Europa League football if asked in December, there is now a chance for the Red Devils to book a place in the Champions League, granted they can continue getting results under Carrick.
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United won their first four matches after Carrick’s return, though they were held to a draw against West Ham on Tuesday night.
Still, United are positioned fourth in the Premier League. The only way Carrick can ensure he’s a contender for the head coach role beyond this season is by getting United back into Europe’s most prestigious competition.
There will be multiple head coach options for United to choose from.
Carlo Ancelotti secretly reaches agreement with Brazil
The most experienced manager linked with the United head coach role has been Carlo Ancelotti.
Ancelotti has been Brazil’s manager since May 2025, with a view to guiding the South American nation to the 2026 World Cup.
That hasn’t stopped United from being linked with the iconic Italian coach, who has won the Champions League five times (three times with Real Madrid and twice with AC Milan).
During an update on United’s search for a permanent head coach, reliable reporter Ben Jacobs told The United Stand that he hasn’t heard about Ancelotti being part of the conversation.
Jacobs claims Ancelotti has secretly agreed to sign a new contract as Brazil manager that will run until the 2030 World Cup.
“I haven’t heard Carlo Ancelotti, to be perfectly honest with you,” Jacobs said.
“And my understanding is that Ancelotti, having taken the Brazil national team job for this forthcoming World Cup, very recently agreed a contract renewal to stay with the Brazilian Football Confederation through until the 2030 World Cup, which is the centenary edition.
“So at this stage, Ancelotti is not expected to be one of the managers available in the market in the summer, much like Thomas Tuchel.”
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Tuchel agreed a new deal with England on Tuesday, despite being linked with the hot seat at Old Trafford.
Gary Neville wanted Carlo Ancelotti at Man Utd
Former United captain turned pundit Gary Neville recently stated that Ancelotti was his preferred choice to become the new head coach at Old Trafford.
Neville believes Ancelotti has the experience required to succeed at United, having done so at other major European clubs in the past.
He outlined his reasons in the Overlap newsletter, writing: “With these last 12 years being a period of massive underperformance for Manchester United managers, there are certain boxes the next candidate now needs to tick.
“1. You have to be able to handle the media and the noise which comes with this club. It is what it is, so get over it and deal with it. It’s why you’re getting paid the big bucks.
“2. You have to show that you can have success getting into the top four, that you can cope with Champions League football, and that you can get the best out of a group of players that will include egos and superstars.
“3. You must understand the Premier League and English football culture because it’s different to competing in many of the European leagues.
“4. You also have to understand the Manchester United way, which means you have to be a glass-half-full kind of manager. Be positive and prepared to take risks and play with pace and excitement. In all likelihood that is going to a variation of 4-4-1-1 / 4-2-3-1.
“You have got to be pretty special to tick all four of those boxes and, as such, the outstanding candidate for me would be Carlo Ancelotti, even if it would mean potentially delaying his arrival until late July if Brazil reached the World Cup final.
“No-one comes as close to fulfilling everything laid out above than he does. Ironically, the club met with Carlo shortly before his [Sir Alex Ferguson’s] retirement in 2013 and we could have short-circuited this entire process, starting with him at the beginning of the cycle.
“But, by that stage, he was close to agreeing to joining Real Madrid for his first spell in charge and so what might have been a perfect appointment never happened.”
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