MICHAEL CARRICK has been tipped as “one to keep an eye on” regarding a vacant Premier League manager job.
The Middlesbrough manager has enjoyed an incredible breakthrough season in the dug-out at the North East club.
Michael Carrick has been linked with a potential shock return to former club TottenhamRex
Boro were sitting 21st in the Championship when he replaced Chris Wilder back in October but he has now transformed them into huge promotion contenders.
They currently sit fourth and have already secured their place in the play-offs – but now Carrick has been linked with a return to one of his old clubs.
Tottenham are searching for a new permanent manager after Antonio Conte’s departure.
His assistant Cristian Stellini initially took caretaker charge, but he was replaced by Ryan Mason on a temporary basis following the 6-1 defeat at Newcastle United.
Sun Sport exclusively revealed that Vincent Kompany, who has led Burnley to the Championship title, was Tottenham’s top target.
The 37-year-old has refused to comment on those links and now former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann is among the top contenders for the job.
And Bayer Leverkusen’s is another name that is believed to be on the shortlist – but now TalkSPORT’s transfer guru Alex Crooks has thrown Carrick, who spent two years at Spurs before signing for Manchester United in 2006, into the mix.
It came as he was providing an update on Spurs’ pursuit of Nagelsmann when he told talkSPORT: “This one was always a very slim chance that he would go.
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“Obviously that chance improved when he took himself out of the running to be the new Chelsea manager.
“Watching Chelsea last night, he might be quite pleased with that decision.
“But I think it always had to be 100 per cent right for Nagelsmann to go to Tottenham, particularly as they’re not going to be in the Champions League next season.
“I think he’s concerned about the lack of a sporting director and who they might appoint in that position, so he’s not going to commit himself until he knows who he is going to be reporting to.”
Crooks added: “I still think they might go down the young, up-and-coming route.
“We know they’re big admirers of Vincent Kompany, he’s definitely on their list of potential targets.
“Michael Carrick I think would be an interesting one to keep an eye on if Middlesbrough don’t go up.”