Gabriele MarcottiCloseGabriele MarcottiSenior Writer, ESPN FCGabriele Marcotti is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @Marcotti. and

Manchester United sacked manager Ruben Amorim in January, and the turnaround was swift under interim boss Michael Carrick, with the side qualifying comfortably for the UEFA Champions League and finishing third.

There are other reasons to be hopeful, too. Last summer's signings -- attackers Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, goalkeeper Senne Lammens and, to a slightly lesser degree, striker Benjamin Sesko -- all were important contributors. Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, a marginalized figure under Amorim, became an important of Carrick's setup and was rewarded with a new deal. While major questions remain over the ownership -- both the Glazers and Jim Ratcliffe remain broadly unpopular -- there is now a vibe of cautious optimism surrounding the club.

That said, there's still plenty of work to do and questions to be answered, because the fallout from the previous regime runs deep. Here's our take on how the club should approach them.

This is the second in this year's Keep or Dump series, which examines the most pressing questions facing the Premier League and Europe's biggest clubs in the summer transfer window. Liverpool can be found here.

We felt United needed a proven coach with Premier League- or Champions League-winning experience, but also one with the tactical ability to make difference in the biggest games. So how did United end up with Carrick, who doesn't tick any of those boxes?

Mark reckons it's OK because Carrick was the most realistic candidate, having overachieved in steering United into the Champions League and generally being a good representative of the club. While Mark has doubts over his long-term suitability, he and assistant coach Steve Holland have done a great job.

Gab questions the initial criteria as being too narrow and unimaginative. Nine managers have won either competition in the past 10 years. Assuming you want someone under the age of 65, that leaves seven. Take out Pep Guardiola, Hansi Flick and Luis Enrique (who already have big jobs) and Zinedine Zidane (who is committed to take over France after the World Cup) and that leaves three people: Thomas Tuchel, who won't be available until mid-July, Jurgen Klopp, who isn't an option for obvious reasons, and Antonio Conte, who has a bunch of red flags. Therefore, we should have cast a wider net.

United have told people their search was "exhaustive," but how can that be true when they couldn't actually speak to guys who were under contract? Maybe Carrick is the best option, but you'd feel better about it if the club had taken its time to decide this.

Mark Ogden and Gab Marcotti discuss Marcus Rashford's future at Manchester United.

Mark feels that Bruno Fernandes ought to be the priority. The Portuguese midfielder is the club's best player by a significant distance, his skills won't fade anytime soon and he deserves a new deal despite his age.

Bayindir needs to move on; he's not good enough even as a backup goalkeeper. As for the others, let them prove they deserve an extension, like Maguire did this season. Shaw has played well of late, but he needs to show he can keep that level. Martinez, meanwhile, needs to show he can stay fit.

Gab agrees, except on Fernandes. United aren't in danger of losing him; he knows they'll take care of him if he continues to produce, and they have always have the option of a one-year extension to protect themselves. He loves the club and he'll be 32 in September. There's no team -- at least, not one anywhere near United's magnitude -- that is looking to lure him away, which means there's no rush on any of this.

- Liverpool Keep or Dump: Slot's future, rebuilding the midfield, more - Man United unveil new 2026-27 home kit ahead of Champions League return - 'Trust the process': Inside Arsenal's 5-phase plan to win Premier League title

Dalot has improved significantly, but 2029 is a long way away, so there's no need to be hasty. Mount is a very likeable guy and a skilled player, but his fitness record is terrible, and unfortunately for him, his best position is pretty much where Fernandes plays. It makes sense to move him on, but he's on big wages and his transfer fee was huge, which means they'd need to get in the region of £25 million to not lose money (from an accounting perspective) on him. That's going to be tricky -- he turns 28 in January -- but not impossible. It's worth a try.

United need to face the reality here, and the fact is they have no leverage here. That option of €30 million is pretty much meaningless. He doesn't want to come back, and he knows they don't want him and his wages of £350,000 per week back. They need to take what they can get and let him move on.

At the same time, United need to be smart about this. If he stays at Barca, he'll need to sign a new deal, and if he takes less money -- or less guaranteed money, anyway -- that's more cash to fund his transfer.

Where Mark and Gab disagree is that Mark believes his performances this season have generated interest from other big clubs like Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain, albeit as an expensive squad player. Gab doesn't believe that's the case. Sure, Rashford has done well, but probably not enough to justify that enormous salary, plus a transfer fee given he turns 29 in October. And the clubs that could afford it already have top players in his position.

This is another situation where Mark and Gab disagree. Onana has two years left on his contract (and a club option for another) and a residual amortization of just under £20 million on the books. He feels nobody will pay that, so the best option is to loan him out again on similar terms.

Gab agrees getting even £20 million won't be easy, especially because Onana is now 30, but it wouldn't be a bad thing to get both his wages and his amortization off the books. Gab would be willing to take less and take a hit on the deal even if it means settling for £12 million to £15 million.

This is the key area to strengthen this summer. United played just forty games this season -- their lightest fixture list since 1914-15 -- and could well play 55 to 60 next year. They need at least two quality options who can compete with Mainoo for the two midfield jobs.

This will require some serious investment. If Mount leaves and United can shift Ugarte, too (not easy, but not impossible either), then they'd need another midfielder.

As for the profiles of who to bring in, United should target dynamic players to complement Mainoo, but also midfielders with quality and ideally some goals, since they'll be losing the prolific Casemiro. It won't be cheap.

The reality is that in past seasons, the club has had to pay a "United Tax" for players because of their perceived wealth and some poor decisions. That's why they ended up overpaying for Mbeumo and Sesko.

That can't keep happening. United have to be smarter in how they negotiate, because transfer fees matter. They're stuck with a bunch of guys they don't really want to keep but are very hard to shift because their transfer fees were so high and because they're on big wages.

Manchester Uniter boss Michael Carrick congratulates Bruno Fernandes on equalling the most assists in a single Premier League season.

At a minimum, the team needs two central midfielders, a reserve keeper and an alternative at left back. But really, there are many other positions that can use strengthening, from central defense to backup striker (Joshua Zirkzee is simply a very different profile to Sesko).

So, yeah: this is going to be an expensive summer. United have to make sure that it's a smart one, too.

The choice of manager is pivotal, and if it's going to be Carrick, United need to prioritize stabilizing their spot in the Champions League and developing the players they have, as well as bringing in new ones. While we expect a big summer of transfers, the club can't bring in 10 new players.

United have a core of young players -- Ayden Heaven (19 years old), Leny Yoro (20), Mainoo and Patrick Dorgu (21), Sesko (22), and Amad Diallo and Lammens (23) -- and they need to get better. Perhaps not all of them are going to make it at United, but the club can't neglect them either. That's just as important as finding and integrating those new midfielders they need to bring in.

The gap between Arsenal and Manchester City remains large, and nobody will expect them to bridge it in a single season. That's the good news. They don't have immediate pressure to win silverware, but they can't backslide either. Carrick should be judged on that, and if he can only take them so far, they should have the courage to make another change next summer, if necessary.

Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48817397/manchester-united-keep-dump-extend-bruno-fernandes-michael-carrick-right-manager-gab-marcotti-mark-ogden