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Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney has shared his insights on the upcoming Premier League title race. The Englishman, who was part of the last Red Devils squad to lift the league trophy under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, believes the next campaign could be one of the most competitive in years.

Since Sir Alex’s retirement, United have struggled to stay among the dominant forces of English football. Once serial winners, the Red Devils have seen their influence fade over the past decade, often missing out on serious title contention.

The 2024/25 season marked a particularly difficult period, as former head coach Ruben Amorim oversaw a disappointing campaign that saw United finish 15th in the Premier League. The Portuguese manager was eventually dismissed early in the new year, with a top-four finish appearing increasingly uncertain.

INEOS handed charge of the first team to Michael Carrick in January on an interim basis. His impact was immediate and significant—so much so that he was appointed permanent manager before the season ended.

Under Carrick’s leadership, United’s fortunes turned dramatically. The team went on an impressive run of 12 wins and three draws in 17 matches, climbing to third place in the Premier League table. Statistics confirmed that United were the most in-form team in the league during that period, leading in both goals scored and points collected since the start of the calendar year.

Ultimately, United finished seven points behind Manchester City and 14 points adrift of champions Arsenal—results that reflected a strong recovery given their challenging start to the season.

United’s smart transfer business last summer played a crucial role in their resurgence. Improvements in both the attacking and goalkeeping departments were evident, with the team scoring 69 league goals—only behind Arsenal (71) and Manchester City (77) in the 2025/26 campaign.

INEOS are expected to continue strengthening the squad this summer, with reports indicating that a deal for Ederson has already been completed. This has sparked optimism among supporters, and Rooney has suggested that the Red Devils could emerge as genuine title challengers next season.

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the former England captain said: “I think the title race next year will be really intense because you’ve obviously got Chelsea, a new manager at Liverpool, and Manchester City also changing managers. United, with Carrick coming in, have done really well. There are so many good young managers in the league now, and for the first time in a long while, I don’t think there’s a clear favourite.”

This summer has already seen major managerial changes, with Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot departing Manchester City and Liverpool respectively. Liverpool have confirmed Andoni Iraola as their new head coach, while City are widely expected to appoint former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca as Guardiola’s successor at the Etihad.

Carrick’s impressive spell at Old Trafford shows he has the tactical acumen and composure to compete with the league’s top managers. If INEOS continue to build intelligently over the transfer window, Manchester United supporters could be in for an exciting season ahead.