José Mourinho wants to tie United midfielder down with new contract

According to a flurry of reports, including this one in the Daily Mail, Michael Carrick is set to extend his Manchester United contract. The 34-year-old's current deal is due to expire at the end of the next month, though incoming manager José Mourinho reportedly wants the former Tottenham Hotspur man to sign on for at least another season.

According to the Mail's Sami Mokbel, Carrick will be offered a deal matching his current £80,000-a-week pay packet. However, we should maybe take these finer details with a pinch of salt: the same report claims that Mourinho is interested in bolstering United's midfield by bringing Chelsea's Nemanja Matić to Old Trafford, which seems a very unlikely transfer indeed.

Keeping Carrick on for another season is probably wise, so long as United don't anticipate relying on him. He's still a more than serviceable backup option, and is capable of filling in at centre-back when required. He's no longer good enough as a regular starter, but for the time being, tying him down for a further year doesn't seem bad business at all.