Carrick snubs PSG in favour of another season at United

Marking the anniversary of his arrival at Old Trafford, nine years ago on the Friday just passed, Michael Carrick has pledged his allegiance to the club for at least another year to come after turning down the opportunity to link up with PSG.

Snubbing baguettes for pies as his half time snack, the midfield man may find chances harder to come by this upcoming campaign after the arrival of Morgan Schneiderlin who will hope to secure the jersey ahead of the fans favourite in the role at the base of the triangle. Although both could likely feature, a defensive setup does not go down well with the support and already, the pace and power that the latter has to offer suggest the 34-year-old will finish his career as an understudy.

Both can pick a pass but the player-in-questions 94% completion rate was second to none in the Red Devils’ squad during one particular fixture when the top tier outfit took on Aston Villa in the 2014/15 term (well, with the exception of Daley Blind and Ander Herrera who out surpassed him by a mere two per cent). Therefore, Carrick’s presence could be a useful one to have around, with much his new French teammate could learn from his wealth of experience.

On the other hand, with statistics showing that Louis van Gaal’s sides’ chances of emerging victorious were fancied when their number 16 was selected to start in the middle of the park. A 72% win rate possibly indicates the waste of a talent that would be forsaken in the dugout at the Theatre of Dreams. Furthermore, the Reds laid claim to the spoils on 35% of occasions when Carrick was missing on a match day.

The marquee summer signing of Bastian Schweinsteiger to date will take the shine off of the England International but this will come as no shock to him, having always shied from the limelight, somewhat of an unsung hero.

The Wallsend-born professional could have linked up with ‘missing’ Angel Di Maria, who’s move to France looks all but signed, sealed and delivered after going AWOL but has instead opted to aid his current club in their bid to return to Europe with a bang. A move slightly closer to home could have materialised but United also rebuffed tentative approaches from Newcastle who look to build a new-look team under Steve McClaren.