There are eight things on the United In Focus wishlist for Manchester United fans this year.
It’s that time of the year again. The wait to watch Manchester United take on Newcastle on Boxing Day has begun, with a festive dinner to look forward to in the meantime.
United are positioned seventh in the Premier League after a poor start to the season, with an FA Cup third round tie against Brighton in the new year.
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It has been a challenging year on the pitch for the club, finishing in the bottom half of the league table and losing the Europa League final, but Ruben Amorim will hope 2026 is a year of better results.
Without further ado, here are eight things United fans want this Christmas.
Defensive stability
With injuries negatively impacting the defensive department as goals leak from the back, United fans will be eager to see some stability at the back.
It doesn’t help that Amorim has not been able to settle on his preferred back three due to absentees.
Senne Lammens has performed well, but he would benefit massively from having a settled defence in front of him and knowing who is playing in front of him each week.
January reinforcements
There will be more pressure to improve results after the turn of the year, so Ineos need to be alert to see if there are any players in the January market that would bolster Amorim’s squad for the remainder of the season.
United need to make midfield additions a priority in 2026, while they should also consider signing a left wing-back to take Diogo Dalot’s role in the team.
Although Amad Diallo isn’t a wing-back, he made the role his own at the beginning of the season. It means United’s attacking play down the right flank is far superior to that on the opposite wing.
Ruben Amorim to win his first trophy as Man Utd manager
It has been a tough start to life under the Portuguese coach. Expectations are low as a result, but United could still finish in the Champions League spots due to other teams being equally inconsistent.
However, if United can go on a good run in the FA Cup, Amorim has a chance to win his first piece of silverware as United head coach.
Amorim missed out on winning the Europa League last season after losing to Tottenham in the final.
Shooting boots for Benjamin Sesko
Benjamin Sesko has scored two goals since he arrived at United from RB Leipzig.
The Slovenian international has shown glimpses of his talent, and it’s clear to see he has many of the attributes required to be a top striker.
To become a top striker, though, there’s a key element to Sesko’s game that needs to improve. The 22-year-old must learn to take his chances in front of goal, which is why shooting boots would make a great gift for the United striker.
Clarity over Old Trafford with new stadium planned
It’s been known for some time that Ineos are planning to build a new stadium for the first team, but United fans have been left in the dark about what that means for Old Trafford in its current state.
Old Trafford has an incredible history. That means traditionalists among the fanbase will be eager to find out what a new stadium means for the existing ground.
It would be great if Sir Jim Ratcliffe could let fans know what the future looks like for Old Trafford. Will it be used for United’s academy and the women’s team?
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Time machine for Casemiro
United face a difficult challenge to replace Casemiro in 2026.
Casemiro will leave United in the summer unless an agreement is reached over a contract extension.
The 33-year-old has been among the best defensive midfielders in the world for a long time, after winning multiple Champions League titles with Real Madrid before signing for United in 2022.
A time machine would be massively beneficial because prime Casemiro would help transform United’s midfield department.
Every player back from injury
As mentioned earlier in this article, United’s defence has taken a battering with injuries in recent months.
Matthijs de Ligt’s absence has been a huge blow because the Netherlands international started the season strongly. He was becoming a leader in the back three.
Harry Maguire has been another loss, but the biggest absence due to injury is Bruno Fernandes.
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Fernandes isn’t the only midfielder out injured after Kobbie Mainoo took a minor knock in training last week.
At the very least, it would be great to see all of these players back to full fitness ahead of the Manchester derby in January.
Qualify for the Champions League
The ultimate objective for United this season is to get back into the Champions League.
It will be a huge task for Amorim’s team to become consistent enough to make light work of finishing in the top five.
United always do things the hard way, but for however long it remains a possibility, there’s no point giving up.
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