Wayne Rooney has made his predictions for the 2025/26 Premier League season, with the Manchester United legend tipping his old side for a resurgence under Ruben Amorim
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has tipped Liverpool for the title and his old side for a Premier League resurgence under Ruben Amorim. However, he believes the Red Devils are one or two bodies short going into the new season.
United kick off their season at home to Arsenal on Sunday and are eager to bounce back from a dismal 15th-place finish last season, which represented their worst Premier League campaign. But with new signings Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha bolstering their attack, there's a sense of optimism for a fresh start.
Rooney, United's all-time leading scorer, believes his former employers will climb an impressive 10 places to secure a fifth-place finish by May. He made this prediction during a Match of the Day special edition preview (via the Manchester Evening News) alongside Kelly Cates, Danny Murphy and Julien Laurens ahead of the new season's kick-off.
"I still think they [United] need one or two more signings," said the Old Trafford icon. "But I think you can see what Amorim is doing. I think it's looking better for Manchester United, and I think they will sneak into the top five. I hope they do, you never know."
Laurens was quick to tease Rooney about his obvious bias given his 559 appearances for United. The Red Devils face a monumental challenge in regaining their Champions League credentials, especially after consecutive seasons of setting new records for new all-time worst league finishes.
"Who did you play for again?" quipped Laurens, leaving Rooney and the rest of the panel in stitches over his potentially biased perspective. Despite his Everton and United roots, Rooney didn't let his loyalties cloud his judgement as he predicted Liverpool would retain their title.
Moreover, he believes that if Arne Slot's team manage to secure Isak, they're a sure bet for the crown. The Newcastle forward is currently at loggerheads with the club after it was revealed the Swede is determined he has played his last match for the Magpies, keenly awaiting another offer from Liverpool following a rejected £120million bid.
"I already had Liverpool as favourites to win the title this year," Rooney admitted. "But if Isak comes in, then I think they're gonna be unstoppable.
"The quality they've got, as Danny's just alluded [to], and I think a big thing was replacing Trent [Alexander-Arnold]. There's a lot of chances created, a lot of goals came from that side. I think [Jeremie] Frimpong has got the attributes to fill that, so I think Liverpool look strong."
Rooney could only grin as he spoke the words, though it wasn't one of joy. Rather it seemed to pain the pundit to heap such praise on his old nemeses, regardless of how well-deserved the praise might be.
Many pundits echo this sentiment as the new season approaches, especially with Liverpool bolstering their squad with talents like Florian Wirtz and Huge Ekitike. However, Slot's men may not find immediate success after Crystal Palace snatched the Community Shield at Wembley on Saturday.
Rooney also predicted Arsenal will secure the Premier League's runner-up spot for the fourth consecutive year. He also tipped Manchester City and Chelsea to round out the top four.