How much Man United have spent on managers since 2013

Manchester United have sacked Michael Carrick after a disappointing start to his first full season in charge, bringing an end to a 10-month spell that began when he replaced the dismissed Ruben Amorim in January 2026.

Carrick had set a high standard during the second half of the 2025-26 campaign, when he guided the Red Devils to third place in the Premier League, but United have since slipped to 18th after managing just one victory in their opening 10 league fixtures this season.

It has been a turbulent period at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013 after leading United to their 20th league title, with seven permanent managers and one interim boss taking charge in the years that followed.

David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag all had spells in the dugout before Carrick took over from Amorim, but the club are now preparing for another change, with Mauricio Pochettino expected to be the next man in charge.

The cost of bringing in managers and paying off those who fail to last the course has continued to mount, with The Telegraph reporting that United’s total bill for managerial and sporting department changes since 2013 stands at £108.2m once the latest two changes are factored in.

Football Whispers takes a closer look at how that money has been spent, breaking down the costs of each appointment and departure and identifying the most expensive years for the club.

How much have Man Utd paid to appoint and sack each manager since 2013?

Moyes was appointed on May 9, 2013, as Ferguson’s hand-picked successor, arriving from Everton on a six-year contract, while £2.4m was paid to members of the outgoing manager’s coaching staff who were not retained. Moyes’s time at Old Trafford came to an end in April 2014, with United heading towards seventh place and missing out on European football, and a further £4.9m settlement was paid to Moyes and his staff.

Van Gaal replaced Moyes on May 19, 2014, bringing considerable experience and an impressive collection of honours, and he guided United back into the Champions League during his first season. However, his reign ended just two days after the 2016 FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace, with the Dutchman receiving an £8.4m severance package.

Mourinho took charge on May 27, 2016, and made an immediate impact by winning the EFL Cup and Europa League in his first season before leading United to second place in the Premier League in 2017-18. Mourinho’s departure on December 18, 2018, proved particularly costly, with United sitting sixth in the table and 19 points behind leaders Liverpool when he was dismissed, resulting in a £19.6m settlement, covering his coaching staff as well, that remains the largest managerial payout in this breakdown.

Solskjaer initially arrived as interim manager on December 19, 2018, before being handed the permanent role on March 28, 2019, following a memorable Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain. The Norwegian led United to second place in 2020-21 and a Europa League final, but a 4-1 defeat to Watford in November 2021 proved to be the final straw, with his departure costing the club a reported £9.1m.

Ralf Rangnick was appointed interim manager on December 3, 2021, on a six-month contract, with the German brought in to steady a squad following Solskjaer’s dismissal. United eventually finished sixth under Rangnick, while the £14.7m recorded against 2022 largely reflected the cancellation of his planned two-year consultancy role, alongside staff payments and other changes within the football department.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag was announced as United manager on April 21, 2022, signing a three-year contract after winning two Eredivisie titles and guiding Ajax to a Champions League semi-final. The Dutchman added the EFL Cup and FA Cup to United’s trophy cabinet, but an eighth-placed finish in 2023-24 and a defeat to West Ham in October 2024 brought his time in charge to an end, with the club paying a £10.4m settlement.

Amorim took over on November 11, 2024, after United agreed to pay Sporting CP around £11m in compensation, a sum that also covered his coaching staff, making his appointment the most expensive managerial arrival in this breakdown. The Portuguese oversaw a 15th-placed finish in 2024-25, United’s worst league campaign since relegation in 1974, before his departure on January 5, 2026. 

Manchester United spending breakdown since 2013 Costs of appointing and removing managers and sporting staff, per The Telegraph’s calculation. Excludes salaries and bonuses.

Manchester United manager and sporting staff appointment and departure costs by year, since 2013

Year	Appointment or departure	Cost
2013	Ferguson’s coaching staff not retained	£2.4m
2014	David Moyes and staff	£4.9m
2016	Louis van Gaal and staff	£8.4m
2018	Jose Mourinho and staff	£19.6m
2021	Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and staff	£9.1m
2022	Ralf Rangnick (including cancelled consultancy role), staff and other football department changes	£14.7m
2024	Erik ten Hag and staff, Ashworth appointment and departure (reported range £4.1m to £9.1m), Amorim appointment including staff	£28.5m
2026	Amorim departure (£8.2m), Carrick departure (estimate, at least £5m), Pochettino release clause (estimate, £7.4m)	£20.6m
Total	£95.8m incurred plus £12.4m estimated	£108.2m

Source: The Telegraph

The Telegraph puts the subsequent compensation payment to Amorim and his staff at £8.2m, although United had previously disclosed a maximum potential settlement provision of £15.9m, with the reduction reportedly linked to Amorim’s subsequent appointment at AC Milan.

The calculation also includes sporting director Dan Ashworth, who arrived from Newcastle in July 2024 and left after just five months. The Telegraph counts £3m for bringing him in and £4.1m for his exit, taking the combined cost to £7.1m. United’s own accounts point to £4.1m for the exit, and reports differ on whether the Newcastle fee sits inside or on top of that figure, so his total cost is reported variously between £4.1m and £9.1m.

Carrick was appointed on January 13, 2026, following Darren Fletcher’s brief caretaker spell, initially taking charge until the end of the season before being rewarded with a two-year contract after his impressive results. That agreement reportedly limited the financial damage when United dismissed him on November 12, 2026, with his departure, including his coaching staff, estimated at a minimum of £5m, although the club have yet to confirm the final figure.

Pochettino is now expected to replace Carrick after United reportedly reached a verbal agreement in principle with the former Tottenham and Chelsea manager, who was also considered for the job in 2022 before the club opted for Ten Hag. The Argentine’s reported release clause from US Soccer stands at £7.4m (about $10m), although that figure does not include any compensation required to bring members of his coaching staff to Old Trafford and has yet to be confirmed.

When all the payments are added together, the nine managerial entries and Ashworth’s two payments bring United’s reported bill to £108.2m on The Telegraph’s calculation, excluding salaries and bonuses. Around £95.8m of that has already been incurred, with the remaining £12.4m coming from estimates for Carrick’s exit and Pochettino’s appointment.

Which year have Man Utd spent the most on managerial changes?

Man Utd's reported spending by year £108.2m on The Telegraph's calculation, in millions of pounds. 2026 includes £12.4m of estimates.

Incurred £95.8m Estimated £12.4m (Carrick, Pochettino)

£32m

£24m

£16m

£8m

£0m

£2.4m

2013

£4.9m

2014

£8.4m

2016

£19.6m

2018

£9.1m

2021

£14.7m

2022

£28.5m

2024

£20.6m

2026

Source: The Telegraph. Hatched section shows estimated figures.

The biggest outlay came in 2024, when United spent £28.5m on Ten Hag’s departure, Ashworth’s appointment and subsequent exit, and Amorim’s arrival from Sporting, according to The Telegraph’s breakdown.

The current year sits second on £20.6m if Pochettino’s appointment goes through, comprising Amorim’s £8.2m settlement, an estimated £5m to part ways with Carrick and the reported £7.4m release clause for the incoming manager, though only Amorim’s payment is settled so far.

Mourinho’s £19.6m settlement alone makes 2018 the third most expensive year, followed by 2022 on £14.7m and 2021 on £9.1m, while the totals for 2016, 2014 and 2013 were all below £9m.

The figures also underline the scale of United’s spending under INEOS, with 2024 and 2026 accounting for a combined £49.1m, or around 45% of the reported £108.2m total, assuming the latest estimates prove accurate. Amorim’s hiring and exit alone account for £19.2m of that, spread across the two years and only just short of Mourinho’s £19.6m.

That figure could change once any compensation for Pochettino’s coaching staff is included and United confirm the final cost of Carrick’s departure.