Betting suspended on next Manchester United manager amid Michael Carrick talks

Betting has been suspended on the next Manchester United manager market with Michael Carrick reportedly in talks to become the permanent manager of the club.

bet365's Steve Freeth said: "The support opposing Carrick has been thin on the ground over the last few weeks, which is a clue as to the sort of job that the former Manchester United midfielder has been doing at Old Trafford.

"We’ve had a number of four-figure bets on him at odds-on and with recent reports of formal talks, we’ve decided to suspend betting on who will start next season as Manchester United manager."

Carrick was installed as the interim United manager until the end of the campaign in January and he has helped to transform the club's season.

The Red Devils are currently third in the Premier League table and they have secured UEFA Champions League football for next season.

Whilst Carrick was initially seen as a temporary solution until the club discovered a permanent successor to Ruben Amorim, the former midfielder is now in talks to take the job on a permanent basis.

According to Sky Sports, formal discussions between the United hierarchy and Carrick are expected to take place prior to the club's final match of the Premier League season against Brighton on 24th May.

While the club have not ruled out other candidates at this stage of the process, Carrick is the individual they wish to speak to first about the vacancy following a tremendous interim spell.

No club has amassed more points in the Premier League since Carrick's appointment on 13th January with the 44-year-old overseeing 10 wins and three draws from his 15 matches.

Given Carrick's success, it was hard to envisage how United could award the job to anyone else, but club bosses were insistent on performing a diligent recruitment procedure with several candidates in the frame for the coveted Old Trafford hotseat.

Andoni Iraola was linked with the vacancy following confirmation of his pending departure from Bournemouth, while another departing manager in Oliver Glasner was also reportedly on United's shortlist with the Austrian set to leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season.

However, it appears Carrick has won the race to be named United manager on the permanent basis, whilst his backroom staff of Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion are all poised to remain in their posts.