Michael Carrick surprisingly remains in charge of Manchester United as they prepare for their Premier League clash against Chelsea on Saturday, with the cost of sacking the former England international revealed.

Carrick’s final match in charge of the Red Devils appeared destined to be a 3-0 loss at Bournemouth at Old Trafford, but it was clear following that game that fan sentiment was still firmly on his side. While the manager was cheered off the pitch by the supporters, the players were heavily booed.

With rumours that former Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was being lined up to come in, it came as a shock that United have decided to stick by the man in the dugout – for the moment, at least.

How much will it cost Man Utd to sack Carrick?

Money is unlikely to be one of the reasons for United refusing to sack Carrick this week, with Ben Jacobs revealing that there is a clause in his contract that means United can sack him comparatively cheaply.

Speaking to the United Stand, he explained: “Michael Carrick has a break clause, so if they part ways he’ll be paid out for the season and that’s it.”

Estimates suggest that Carrick is paid around £5 million per season, providing an indication of the type of money required to see him leave.

Man Utd’s next manager: Numerous candidates discussed

And the United manager is not out of the woods yet, with the board having discussed several different possibilities, Jacobs says.

“Michael Carrick remains under pressure,” the insider confirmed.

“He’s got Chelsea. If he can get a positive result there, the expectation is that he’ll get Roma and Aston Villa, and then there’s an international break.

“There is Julian Nagelsmann, who’s behind Howe at the moment in terms of internal thinking if they do make a change.

“Antonio Conte, Cesc Fabregas, Unai Emery, Fabian Hurzeler, all names that have been discussed.”