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Michael Carrick is closing in on becoming the next permanent Manchester United manager as another of his rivals for the job appears set to pull out of the race.

The i Paper has been told by several sources that Luis Enrique is one of the top picks to take the Old Trafford hotseat at the end of the season, but it appears, just as was the case with other leading candidates Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti, that United will again be forced to look elsewhere.

Sources in Paris are adamant that Enrique will sign a new deal at Paris Saint-Germain beyond his current contract, which expires in 2027.

Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who has been in and out of Qatar in recent weeks to keep his family safe from the conflict in neighbouring Iran, is also keen to secure Enrique’s long-term future.

The signing of Spanish wonderkid Dro Fernandez, ahead of a host of top European clubs was, sources said, a sweetener to keep Enrique believing PSG are fully behind his long-term project in the French capital.

United’s interest in Enrique is said to come from chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, with the club’s Ineos owners understood to be more keen on appointing Carrick, at least on a short-term basis, should the former midfielder steer the club back into the Champions League.

The overriding feeling is if Carrick does that, then he deserves a longer shot at driving lasting change.

Club sources insist no contact has been made with any candidate as yet, as they feel that, with things going so well at the moment, they do not want to cause any undue disruption.

No decision will be made until the end of the season, when Enrique could well already be off the table.

It is true the former Barcelona manager harbours ambitions to manage in the Premier League one day, but the 55-year-old has plenty of time to fulfil those aspirations.

He speaks excellent English and would take little time to adapt to the league, given his experience against English teams.

One source added that Pep Guardiola’s future could come into Enrique’s thinking.

The pair played together at Barcelona and who succeeds the Manchester City boss when he does decide to leave is important to him.

Should Guardiola stay put one more year and see out his contract, like many insiders believe he will, then City will also be on the lookout for another elite-level coach, one with at least one Champions League title under his belt.

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It is a little early to be asking Phil Foden where it all went wrong. Nevertheless, a player framed as the future of the English game when he appeared fully-formed at 17 years old, is tethered to an altogether different trajectory now.

Foden turns 26 in May, which is hard to square with the sense of him that still lingers, a player for the future. Perhaps there is a lesson here for Max Dowman at Arsenal. The storied vista predicted is never given.

Were he to spend the rest of his career potless, Foden would still have banked a hall-of-fame payload, of course. A total of 17 major trophies in more than 300 first-team appearances since making his debut for Manchester City almost nine years ago is Ryan Giggs-like in scale and garnered in half the time.

From the moment he won the Under-17 World Cup with England in 2017 progression to the senior team felt routine. Such was the power of the Foden brand, some advocates pressed for his inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Russia World Cup in 2018.

Southgate, perhaps wisely, resisted until 2020 against Iceland. To date he has amassed 47 caps, just six shy of the total achieved by Glenn Hoddle, another hyper-gifted phenom who ended his career an unresolved quandary for England.

As the season enters its decisive stage, instead of setting the agenda for club and country Foden is the recipient of sympathy votes and the subject of debates about his future at the Etihad.

He was an unused sub against Real Madrid in a game of super significance to City in the Champions League a week ago and was made to wait until the 90th minute before stretching his legs in a perfunctory Carabao Cup cameo against Arsenal at Wembley.

“I felt sad for him,” Wayne Rooney said.

“Not sad because he is coming on in a cup final. There was a game a few days ago when he didn’t even get on the pitch.

“If that was Max Dowman coming on at the end, you would think, good experience. But to see Phil Foden coming on in a cup final, it felt like a charity sub.”

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Though Foden clings to a place in this England squad, it is hard to see how he might tip the utilitarian thinking of Thomas Tuchel to start against either Uruguay of Japan, and therefore how he retains his interest when the squad is whittled down for the World Cup at the end of May.

Foden seemed to recover his station after injury and personal issues ruined last season. He even survived the arrival of Rayan Cherki in the summer to feature heavily in the autumn and was arguably the outstanding performer in City’s Manchester derby triumph at the Etihad in September, scoring the first.

Foden was seemingly made for Pep Guardiola, the English exemplar of the Catalan’s Tiki-taka movement. In this period of change, however, with Guardiola adapting to the Premier League’s paradigm shift to a more direct template, Foden has been swept into the margins by January signing Antoine Semenyo, the very embodiment of turbo power and thrust.

The idea of leaving to resurrect his career is anathema to a City lifer and Pep devotee like him, yet it is a discussion point in the City chat rooms as a contract extension beyond next year remains unsigned.

The idea of Foden’s absence from the World Cup, unthinkable at the height of the treble-winning season three summers ago, flows through the conversation like the Rubicon, a game-changing feature with irreversible consequences should he choose to cross it.

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Liverpool have already begun planning for life without Mohamed Salah by targeting £52m-rated Portugal forward Francisco Conceicao.

The club’s hierarchy were preparing for Salah’s exit in the past few months as links to Saudi Arabia remained prevalent, but the Egyptian’s shock announcement this week that he will leave on a free in the summer has accelerated plans.

Juventus winger Conceicao has had a stop-start season due to injury, but has found his form in recent months, helping him attract interest from across Europe.

The 23-year-old is also expected to play a big part in Portugal’s attempts to win a first ever World Cup this summer, despite the competition for places he faces in Roberto Martinez’s squad.

Conceicao is the kind of profile Liverpool are looking for – replacing Salah’s ability, from previous seasons, to remain on the front foot and run at defenders.

The i Paper has been told that at least one forward will come in this summer at Anfield, with Cody Gakpo one who could potentially leave after a difficult season.

It is understood that one marquee name, preferably with some Premier League experience, will be sought, then one younger, exciting prospect from Europe for a more reasonable fee. Conceicao falls into the latter category, given he could be available for around €60m (£52m).

Former Crystal Palace star Michael Olise is one of the stellar names Liverpool have been keeping their eye on. The France international’s exhilarating form this season has ramped his price tag up towards the £100m mark.

Liverpool have previous for willingness to spend nine-figure sums, but The i Paper has been told Olise is very happy at Bayern Munich and doubts remain whether he would leave Bavaria now, with Vincent Kompany creating such an impressive unit.

Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers has a myriad of attributes to make a real difference and is another wide option for Liverpool. He too would command a substantial fee.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola has long been coveted by senior figures at Anfield, and is seen as an achievable get, while RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande remains a top target.

Conceicao has three goal contributions in his last four Serie A matches after a campaign of modest numbers previously. Further improved performances for Juventus could persuade Liverpool to move sooner rather than later, as more goals and assists at the World Cup could increase the competition for his signature.

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When the parting comes, the stats, considerable though they are, will not define him. The mountain of goals, only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt have scored more than the 255 and counting, will not be the entirety of his legend. No, what Liverpool fans will remember most when he is gone is how Mo Salah made them feel, up there with Kenny Dalglish in the hearts of the Scouse diaspora.

The sense of Salah was perhaps most keenly felt by those attending a celebration of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool Olympia ahead of his final game at Anfield two years ago. Organised by fan group BOSS, the old Victorian auditorium served as a temple thronged by Liverpool worshippers 24 hours before the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Leading the communion was Jamie Webster, a kind of Scouse minstrel who sets his love of Liverpool to music with a string of terrace ballads that capture the essence of the fan experience. Of the many songs sung that day none met with the greater rapture than Webster’s ode to Salah, which to this observer felt like a moment of deep spiritual significance.

As he thrummed the opening chords, the dance floor erupted. “Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Running down the wing. Mo Salah la-la-la la-ahh, the Egyptian king!”

It struck me then how football makes cultural barriers disappear. Here was an Islamic totem at the heart of a community gathering, embraced without a thought to his ethnicity or faith. He was just Mo, and he was there for everyone.

What a wonderful world it is with Salah on the dance floor, the ball glued to his feet, the goal at his mercy, the perfect antidote to Donald Trump bombing the shit out of Iran and the Revolutionary Guard brutalising their own people.

Sport in general, and football in particular as its most popular manifestation, is one of the highest forms of human expression since it requires opponents to come together in an attitude of acceptance and respect.

Self-evidently you cannot play it in a war zone, a fact rammed home during the First World War when, in an act of heartrending spontaneity, hostilities ceased on Christmas Day 1914, allowing British and German soldiers to exchange symbolic gifts and engage in a series of kick-abouts.

Sport’s superpower is its civilising quality, requiring a sense of togetherness and rules-based order to flourish. Yes it is partisan at heart but not at the expense of decency and fair play. Well, in most cases. And at elite level, the emotional connection with football clubs remains one of the great community endeavours. 

Salah engenders universal acclaim not because of his brilliance alone but for the spirit in which he plays the game, without malice or prejudice, always smiling, always trying. Perhaps most significantly of all, there is the feeling that he is representing the people of Liverpool, never himself. He is, in this regard, the anti-Cristiano, and as a result so easy to love.

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Tar me with a romantic brush, but before we are English, Egyptian, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or any other cultural identifier, we are human beings. The simple joy of communing with one who in other settings might easily have manifested as “other”, reminds us of our commonality. 

In the epoch of Trump and his hateful factions we have never needed this message more. Once again this sentiment is best captured in song, another epic paean to Salah set this time to the tune of “Good Enough” by Dodgy.  

“If he’s good enough for you, he’s good enough for me. If he scores another few, then I’ll be Muslim too.

“If he’s good enough for you, he’s good enough for me. Sitting in the mosque, that’s where I wanna be!

“Mo Salah la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la-la.”

Farewell then, Mo. Less an Egyptian king, more a pharaoh of the people, for the people.

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Qualifying for Europe will help accelerate Everton’s planned summer rebuild, with another net spend of around £100m a realistic prospect at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the close season.

David Moyes’ side have put themselves in real contention to return to European competition for the first time since 2018 with three wins from their last four games and sit only three points off rivals Liverpool, who occupy the final Champions League spot.

Crucially Everton seem to have addressed their patchy home form and Saturday’s 3-0 win over Chelsea felt like a landmark victory at their new stadium.

Moyes has made no secret of his desire to propel Everton back into Europe, and it is obvious why.

Sources suggest the impact of qualifying could be transformative ahead of a summer where the Friedkin Group is ready to once again sanction significant investment.

The club’s short-term ambition is to join the pack of challenger clubs like Aston Villa and Newcastle United who have gatecrashed the Champions League in recent years.

But without Europe, becoming the so-called “best of the rest” looks like a long shot.

With it they have an improved sales pitch to players and also new revenue streams for a club that wants to leverage their new stadium to make further funds available to Moyes.

Given Everton are likely to sell out every home game in Europe, even in the Conference League, each fixture could be worth up to £2m on the bottom line.

Financially, the Toffees have undoubtedly made progress in the last 12 months.

It is understood that the club’s upcoming accounts will show a small loss in the most recent financial year, but also that commercial revenues are now at record levels.

That will give them room under the Premier League’s financial rules to invest, with their quiet January transfer window a deliberate policy to enable a clear run at the summer.

Planning is underway for the next transfer window and a right-back, centre-back and forward are understood to be priorities.

Everton also remain hopeful of negotiating a deal for Jack Grealish, who is continuing his recovery from a stress fracture and continues to be a visible presence at club events.

The Manchester City winger is keen to return to Everton next season and that enthusiasm is reciprocated by Moyes.

But the deal will have to work financially for the Toffees as they look to strengthen in other key areas over the close season.

Having committed around £10m in terms of wages and fees to a season-long loan deal, Everton’s valuation of Grealish is around the £20m mark.

The Toffees will be helped in talks with City by the fact that there are few other viable suitors for Grealish given his age and contractual status.

Pep Guardiola has made it clear that the England winger has no future at the Etihad and even if there is a change of manager at City, that stance is unlikely to alter.

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Everton are also looking to bring in another centre-back and are keen on Arsenal’s Ben White, with his status at the Emirates uncertain.

The i Paper understands that Everton are one of the clubs interested in Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi, who will be a free agent this summer.

There will be intense competition for the 28-year-old though, with Serie A sides Roma and Juventus among his suitors.

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Roberto De Zerbi is ready to “get his hands dirty” and take on the Tottenham Hotspur job, as club chiefs consider moving to appoint him immediately in an attempt to re-energise their relegation fight.

Tottenham are giving serious thought to replacing interim boss Igor Tudor, who has lost four of his five Premier League games in charge. His attempt at short, sharp shock therapy has failed and De Zerbi’s willingness to take on the role now gives Spurs a serious decision to make.

The Italian has been out of work since leaving Marseille earlier this year but is keen to return to English football. He was on Manchester United’s shortlist but it is believed interest from Old Trafford has cooled and the De Zerbi camp are under the impression that he is no longer a candidate.

De Zerbi would relish the opportunity at Spurs. Others are understandably cautious about moving to the club. The i Paper was told by one prominent figure in football, who has been in touch with Tottenham over another role, that there is confusion about their vision and the skewed powerlines on the board.

Yet De Zerbi is not intimidated by the size of the task of keeping Spurs in the Premier League and reports he had wanted a break until the end of the season were wide of the mark. He is refreshed and ready to get stuck into his next job.

Mauricio Pochettino and Andoni Iraola are alternative candidates but neither would be available until the summer at the earliest. Bournemouth are attempting to convince Iraola that they can match his ambition and, as The i Paper revealed earlier this month, are set to reopen talks with him over a possible new deal.

The i Paper understands that Tudor would be due sizeable compensation if he were relieved of his duties before his initial short-term contract, which could have been a factor in holding off a big decision after he oversaw a much-improved performance and result at Liverpool.

Tudor is mourning the death of his father Mario and Spurs will be mindful of giving him time and space this week. But it appears as if discussions have been held behind the scenes and things could move quickly.

There has been some feeling that Tudor could move on by mutual consent given the personal circumstances he was in after the 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The Croatian was always a left-field choice but some at Tottenham have been impressed with his work in making the players fitter and have acknowledged the mammoth injury list he has had to contend with. The i Paper was told players were focused on getting their heads down though there had been some tension over Tudor’s handling of Antonin Kinsky following his mistakes against Atletico Madrid.

There is still alarm at results, however, with the second leg win over Atletico – once the tie was effectively over – a fillip in mood that proved a false dawn.

Spurs do have players returning to fitness in April, though Mathys Tel is the latest to suffer a setback and Guglielmo Vicario has just undergone surgery on a hernia.

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A number of former players and managers have thrown their hat into the ring, including Harry Redknapp and Tim Sherwood, but if Tudor does depart the focus is on a more current candidate. Adi Hutter, who last worked with Monaco in 2025 but who like Tudor does not have Premier League experience, has also been linked.

Given his reputation for calmness under pressure, Chris Hughton has been mentioned in some quarters as a possible interim solution for Spurs. But he has distanced himself from the prospect.

“I’m keeping out of all conversations around the Tottenham job,” he told The i Paper.

“The only conversation I’ll have is it is disappointing where they are because they’re a big club. It’s the nature of this division though, they’re in real trouble. Because of my Tottenham roots I’m hoping they can get the results that kick them into gear, as such.”

Hughton’s last managerial role in England was at Nottingham Forest in 2021 and he admits the game has changed.

“There’s been a lot changes – more in the last three years for the 10-15 years before that,” he said. “For me to get back in it would have to be the right one. It’s become a game for young managers.”

As much as the Spurs hierarchy were mindful that axing Tudor would not be a good look a little over a month after they appointed him, the threat of relegation and its financial implications is getting more serious by the week.

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Nigel Farage makes a lot of videos, and among the ones promoting neo-Nazi events and endorsing dubious cryptocurrencies, it would have been easy to miss his 2021 rant against England players taking the knee.

In a clip titled “Southgate turns England fans against him”, Farage claimed footballers were advocating “a new communist order”, the “defunding of the police” and the destruction of “Western capitalism” by performing the anti-racism gesture.

Yes, that’s the trouble with modern football – riddled with “Marxists”. But much has changed since then, not least this supposed Crystal Palace supporter adopting a new team in Ipswich Town and suggesting politics and football should mix after all. He was pictured this week at Portman Road, holding aloft a blue “Farage 10” shirt. In one photo, every shirt in the dressing room had his name plastered across the back.

This is perhaps the kind of die-hard devotion to be expected from a former Conservative-turned-Anti-Federalist-League-turned-Ukip-turned-Brexit-Party-turned-Reformer, but there are bigger questions.

It is understood staffers booked him onto a stadium tour and the club maintain there was no official invitation. What is unclear is how he managed to change all the shirts in the dressing room, make a short film, or pose in front of a sponsorship board without their knowledge. Indeed without a single member of staff noticing. He thanked them for a “lovely welcome”. The kindest interpretation is that Ipswich have been hopelessly naïve.

Accompany the photos, Farage joked on X: “I’ve never been too bad on the right wing.”

The attempts at humour mask something more sinister.

Reform UK operates as a private company limited by guarantee. Farage and its spokesperson for home affairs Zia Yusuf are directors. So far they have sold over 5,000 “football shirts” with their branding on, despite printing the Union Jack in the wrong colours and using a “Made in Britain” logo without permission.

Farage’s forays into the sport are not “pandering” to genuine football fans but a cynical attempt at naked populism. He accused Gareth Southgate of being “out of touch” with England fans – which England fans? Who are they and what are their views?

Like many people who know very little about football, it appears his own interpretation lies in meaningless, classist stereotypes of the 1980s. The kind of logic whereby to be an England fan is to smear Combat 18 tattoos over your skull and chant in favour of the National Front.

Retro-style football stickers are being daubed across stadiums and on lampposts around the country. “On the charge with Farage”. “Stop the boats”. None of this is an accident, rather a flagrant bid to infiltrate the national game in the hope of winning votes.

The problem for Farage is that it is not necessarily rooted in reality. Football fans are one of the most diverse demographics in the UK. Polling shows that for the most part, they support the wearing of rainbow armbands and kneeling against discrimination.

Portman Road is a curious choice of venue too. Across the road in Felixstowe, Reform had to abandon a walkabout due to protests from local people. Twelve of Ipswich’s current squad identify under one more than one nationality. Almost a third of their players were born outside of the UK.

The numbers may have escaped Farage, who says he actually prefers cricket, presumably in the same way he prefers the GB News studios to his own constituency.

It is strange then, to see his stance on kicking politics out of football change direction quicker than Johan Cruyff, but he clearly believes it will be a vote-winner; real man-of-the-people stuff, in the same vein as attending Dulwich College and amassing £1m a year outside of his parliamentary salary.

The latter he has achieved by catapulting himself into endless media appearances and enjoying wholly disproportionate levels of attention for the leader of a party with eight MPs. Outside that climate, the Ipswich stunt might otherwise be ignored for the shameless opportunism it is.

“Keep politics out of football.” Unless of course they’re my politics, and they can be coopted in time for the local elections.

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