After 12 seasons with the club, Michael Carrick's playing career at Man Utd would appear to be all but over. The 36-year-old has played just once for the club this season: a League Cup game against Burton back in September.
It was during the second half of that game when Carrick began to feel strange. He would subsequently undergo a procedure to correct an abnormal heart rhythm.
Though he has resumed training, Jose Mourinho last month appeared eager to usher in the next stage of Carrick's football career: a move into coaching at Old Trafford. Mourinho said his coaching staff "has the chair for him if he wants".
In anticipation of Carrick's possible retirement, Man Utd have reportedly begun identifying potential replacements. According to the Manchester Evening News, Napoli midfielder Jorginho is among the names. They are said to be "admirers" of the player.
1.4 - Jorginho is the player with the best touches/min. played ratio (1.4) in the current Serie A. Named.
— OptaPaolo 🏆 (@OptaPaolo) November 4, 2017
Jorginho, an Italian international, was born in Brazil but moved to Italy at a young age. He has since gone on to win three caps. The 26-year-old has been at Napoli since 2014 after joining from Verona.
Jorginho has played for Napoli in the Champions League this season, including in a 4-2 defeat to Man City. If he was to be signed in January, he would be cup-tied for the knockout stages of the tournament.
