The 2025/26 Premier League fixture list has been revealed and Manchester United’s most important transfer priority has become even more clear afterwards.
As Manchester United navigate the summer transfer window, new manager Rúben Amorim is already putting his stamp on the squad ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.
Pre-season preparations will begin in mid-July, starting with a friendly against old rivals Leeds United at the Strawberry Arena in Sweden. The Reds will then travel to the United States for three fixtures against West Ham, Bournemouth, and Everton.
Their final pre-season match will be a special occasion at Old Trafford, as former goalkeeper David de Gea returns with his current club Fiorentina, just a week before the league campaign begins.
The Premier League has now confirmed that United will kick off the 2025/26 season with a high-profile home clash against Arsenal, scheduled for Sunday, 17 August, with a 16:30 BST kick-off.
The season will conclude with an away trip to Brighton in late May, and the full fixture list for the campaign has now been released.
United have difficult start to Premier League campaign
The first thing that every fan noticed when the fixtures were released is how difficult United’s start to the season will be in a couple of months.
Not only do the Reds face Arsenal on the opening weekend, but they also play against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on match-week four and host Chelsea the following weekend.
The two games beforehand – Fulham away and newly-promoted Sunderland at home – are no walk in the park either and Opta have analysed that Amorim’s side have the toughest opening five games of any club in the division.
Obviously, everyone plays everyone twice. But there is some benefit in being able to build some early-season momentum, especially for a United side coming off the back of their worst season in recent memory.
United’s main transfer priority is clear
Now, these opening games could actually be a blessing indisguise for Amorim’s men, as there will be little expectations heading into games against Arsenal, City and Chelsea.
If they can grab positive results in two of those three games, while beating Fulham and Sunderland, the mood will be positive. But they won’t be able to do that if they sleepwalk into the season.
Pre-season is going to be crucial for the Reds and that includes getting new players through the door, such as Bryan Mbeumo and a new striker. It is a recipe for disaster if these signings to have minimal preparation with the squad ahead of such a tough start to the season.
It was a priority for United to secure signings early in the window beforehand anyway, but it is becoming even more important now that the fixtures have been released.
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There is no time for key players in Amorim’s side to be learning on the job when it comes to that Arsenal game. Most – if not all – of them should have a full pre-season under their belts so they’re ready to compete.
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