Carrick handed Premier League title mandate as United set 2028 deadline under Project 150

Michael Carrick begins his permanent tenure as Manchester United head coach with an unambiguous benchmark attached to his two-year contract — win the Premier League before 2028, or come close enough to justify a renewal.

Chief executive Omar Berrada laid out the ambition publicly at the end of the season, framing it around what United are calling Project 150 — a set of goals tied to the club’s 150th anniversary in 2028. “One of the goals that we’ve set out is to win the Premier League, the 21st league title, before 2028,” Berrada said. “So, ideally, we do it next season and if not, then the following season. But I think we’re in a good place. We’ve seen some really good progress on the pitch this season. We’re going to continue building on that. We’re going to continue investing in different areas of the club.”

Carrick, 44, arrives on a permanent deal with momentum behind him. He delivered Champions League football to Old Trafford in the second half of this season across a 17-game unbeaten run, a run built largely on free midweeks and consistent training time. That luxury disappears next season, when a fuller fixture schedule — potentially two games a week — will test the squad’s depth and Carrick’s rotation management in ways the spring run-in did not.

Recruitment will be central to whether the project gains traction. United are targeting a midfield overhaul this summer, with replacing Casemiro at the base of midfield identified as the most critical piece of business. Landing an elite-level No. 6 is seen internally as the key to building a side capable of sustaining a title challenge across a full campaign.

Carrick enters the role clear-eyed about the gap to Manchester City and Arsenal, and has spoken openly about the need to close it. His contract runs until 2028 with no option clause, meaning the timeline and the expectation are fixed. Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox will have made those expectations plain during contract negotiations.

Whether or not failing to win the title constitutes outright failure remains a matter of framing — but the internal read is that Carrick will need to push United to the brink of the title within those two years to earn a further deal. The anniversary, the ambition, and the contract length are not, it seems, a coincidence.