Mason Mount insisted Manchester United possess the mentality and the talent to mount a genuine challenge for the Premier League, describing a club in better shape than many expect.

“I have a goal of winning the Premier League,” Mount said. “I’ve won the Champions League already, but can we do that? Yes, I think we can as a group.

“It may seem a little bit far away, but you have to have that mentality to really push yourself as a group. We’ve shown what we can do against the big teams already this season: Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal.”

United recorded victories over Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal this season, and beat Chelsea twice under the management of both Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick. Those results have helped reshape the narrative at Old Trafford after a stuttering start under Amorim.

That early inconsistency left United out of the Premier League title race, but the squad’s revival under Carrick has all but secured Champions League football in 2026–27, offering a tangible reward for the turnaround.

“Yeah, I think we have the quality,” Mount said of the team’s chances of hoisting silverware in the near future. “We haven’t had loads of games this season, so maybe it’s been easier. Next season we have a lot more games, but that’s what you want as a player. That’s what you want as a big club.

“You need big games: Old Trafford, Champions League under the lights, having that pressure of performing and winning games. It’s so important, and that’s what we love as players. The fans deserve it.”

Mount, who was speaking after hosting a Make-A-Wish experience for 11 children at St George’s Park, joined Manchester United in 2023–24. The 27-year-old has made 69 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals, and says he is focused on fitness and a larger role next season.

“Hopefully, I can be a massive part of [a title charge] moving forward next season,” Mount continued. “There are going to be a lot more games next season. I will always back myself. I know what I’m about and know what I can bring, especially to the group. I’m a bit older now, I’ve got more experience.”

United have confirmed Carrick as interim boss through the end of the season. Carrick is the favourite to keep the post after strong results with a squad that struggled under Amorim. Mount admitted he does not know what will happen over Carrick’s future but offered praise for the manager.

Manchester United are understood to have identified Andoni Iraola as the clearest external option should they decide not to appoint Michael Carrick permanently. The Telegraph reports Iraola is regarded as the “strongest” alternative to Carrick, and his confirmed departure from Bournemouth at the end of the season has placed him on the market.

United remain likely to favour Carrick, with the interim boss still the frontrunner, but the club are not ruling out at least speaking to other candidates. That approach reflects a caution born of past experience; the club are wary of repeating the decision to hand Ole Gunnar Solskjær a full-time contract while the season was still ongoing. Solskjaer produced United’s most consistent Premier League finishes in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, but results dipped after he was given a permanent deal in March 2019.

Iraola’s appeal at Old Trafford is said to rest on his attacking style, a philosophy that aligns with what decision makers at the club are seeking. Yet there is a clear counterargument: Iraola lacks experience at the elite level. After more than 500 appearances for Athletic Club as a player, the Basque coach has managed Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth, roles in which his remit was to build modest clubs into outfits that punch above their weight.

That background is both a strength and a limitation. His record suggests he can instil a coherent style and get strong performances from limited resources, but Manchester United are an organisation with different expectations and a demand for immediate, high-level success rather than a long-term development project.

Meanwhile, competition for Iraola’s services is reportedly present, with Chelsea linked to interest following the sacking of Liam Rosenior. Carrick could still be handed the job, particularly if Champions League qualification for next season is secured, but United appear intent on weighing options before reaching a final decision.

Bruno Fernandes has reached 140 Premier League goal involvements after providing an assist for Manchester United against Brentford, a milestone that places him level with Cristiano Ronaldo in that specific metric.

Since his arrival at the Red Devils in January 2020, Fernandes has now recorded 70 Premier League goals and 70 assists. That combination gives him 140 goal contributions from 226 appearances for United in the competition.

By comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo’s record to the same total required more appearances. It took Ronaldo 233 appearances to record his 140th Premier League goal involvement, seven games more than Fernandes needed. The underlying breakdown in the comparison shows Ronaldo with 103 goals and 37 assists in the Premier League as presented in the same set of statistics.

Fernandes’s creativity has been a defining feature of his six-year tenure at United. His next goal involvement will see Fernandes eclipse his international teammate. If it is an assist, it will also move the 31-year-old level with Henry and De Bruyne’s assist record, with another creative landmark then in his sights.

There is also a broader assist benchmark within the league and across Europe. The Premier League’s single-season assist record sits at 20. Across the top five European leagues the record is marginally higher: Lionel Messi and Thomas Müller each finished the 2019–20 season with 21 league assists, the only two occasions anyone exceeded 20 in the recorded history covered.

United have four Premier League games remaining this season. If Fernandes provides one more assist he will tie the league’s single-season record; two more assists would move him level with Messi and Müller at the top of the European ranking for a single season.