‘What it Takes’—Michael Carrick Sets Man Utd’s Ambitions Sky

Entering his first full season as Manchester United manager, Michael Carrick is dreaming big, revealing he believes his team has “what it takes” to compete for “every trophy available” in 2026–27.

The former United midfielder took over as interim manager in January, following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim after a turbulent 14-month stint at the club. Under Carrick’s leadership, the club turned their season around, comfortably securing their return to the Champions League with a third-place finish.

As a result, Carrick was rewarded with a two-year contract to become the Red Devils’ permanent manager. With his future sorted and coming off such a positive run-in, Carrick is now aiming to rediscover United’s historic standards and lead them to their first Premier League title since 2013.

“We know we’ve got what it takes to beat the best teams in this league,” Carrick wrote in a message to fans included in the club’s official yearbook. “Now it’s about doing that over a full Premier League campaign, while also fighting for every trophy available to us.

“We’ve got a fantastic group of players, and we believe they have the required standards of talent, commitment and determination to be successful here. They love being at the club, and we can see how badly they want it; that gives us the confidence to know we’re really building something and moving in the right direction.

“I cannot wait to lead the group forward next season and for those special European nights to return to Old Trafford. We are ready to kick on and give you more of the great moments that United are all about.”

Man Utd’s Resurgence Under Michael Carrick

No Premier League team won more games than United’s 12 ever since Carrick replaced Amorim in the dugout.

They lost only two of the 17 games Carrick managed in 2025–26, and no Premier League team scored more goals than their 33 during that span. The Red Devils sat sixth in the standings when Amorim left the club. With Carrick leading the resurgence, they ended up securing Champions League qualification with two games to spare.

“During the first few days after I returned to the club, myself and the coaching staff talked to the players about the huge opportunity we all have to represent Manchester United, which means so much to so many people, and the importance of embracing the challenge of playing for our club. The players certainly did that and more, and we can be really proud of the progress the group has made over the last few months.

“We know that we need to keep improving. We have a huge responsibility here to win and play exciting football. That never changes, and we should always be striving to compete for the biggest trophies. There are steps to take, but we are in a good place to take them.”

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Man Utd Still Working on Improving Squad

In order to achieve the major goals Carrick has set, United have plenty of work to do during the summer transfer window. The manager has reason to believe in the current crop of talent at his disposal, but there’s no denying reinforcements are sorely needed—especially with the extra load of a European competition to deal with.

Bolstering the midfield is of particular importance, with Casemiro seemingly bound for Inter Miami. A deal is already in place with Atalanta for Brazilian midfielder Éderson, with the deal in its final stages. But the work to strengthen that area of the pitch isn’t done.

After getting out-priced in the Mateus Fernandes sweepstakes, United could be aiming even higher, setting their sights on Real Madrid and France star midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni. Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Chelsea’s Andrey Santos have also been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

The bulk of United’s transfer window efforts are placed on a midfield revamp. However, strengthening other positions such as goalkeeper, left back and left winger has been reported as part of the summer plan.

There’s still time for plenty of movement to materialize during the window, and United will continue to be active.

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