
‘Can the team win the Premier League title by 2028? Of course' – Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada on his target for Old Trafford club
However, he believes marking a major milestone in the club's history since it was founded as Newton Heath in 1878 with double title success is realistic.
In an interview with the United We Stand fanzine to be published on Wednesday, Berrada said: 'It's establishing a series of targets within a timeframe so we can focus our efforts and energy on that goal.
'Can the team win the Premier League title by 2028? Of course.
'We've just finished 15th and it seems an impossible task. But why not aim for it? Why not do everything in our power?'
While United finished third in the WSL, 16 points behind champions Chelsea who also beat them in the FA Cup final, the men languished just three places above the Premier League relegation zone and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham.
Nevertheless, Berrada is sticking to his timetable.
He said: 'I firmly believe we can do it. We have two or three summer windows to build a team to start competing to win the Premier League.'
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The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
John Terry tells Chelsea they have to try to WIN the Premier League this year as former captain opens up on club role
He also labelled one Chelsea player 'the best in the world in his position' the terry on top John Terry tells Chelsea they have to try to WIN the Premier League this year as former captain opens up on club role JOHN TERRY was the epitome of Chelsea's golden era under Roman Abramovich. The most successful captain in the club's history now thinks the Blues are ready to challenge under new ownership. Advertisement 6 John Terry has told Chelsea they must aim for the title this Premier League season Credit: Getty 6 Terry knows what that particular feat takes, leading the Blues to five titles himself Credit: Getty Play Dream Team now! Play The Sun Dream Team ahead of the 2025/26 season Free to play Over £100,000 in total prize money Play in Mini Leagues against your mates Submit a team for Gameweek 1 to enter £5,000 prize draw Play via Dream Team's app or website today! For all the chopping and changing at Stamford Bridge, Terry — who mentors players in the academy — can see a bright future after a summer of success. Eight months ago, boss Enzo Maresca was shooting down suggestions of a title challenge. Six months ago, the fans were chanting angrily towards their manager that they wanted 'their Chelsea back'. Since then, Todd Boehly's Blues have claimed a Champions League place, won the Conference League and the Club World Cup. Advertisement READ MORE ON FOOTBALL FEUD OVER? Gary Lineker attends niece Tia's wedding as fallout with brother Wayne eases And JT - who has exclusively revealed he's made a decision about his own future in the game - does not think Maresca will talk down their title hopes any more. The Chelsea legend, 44, told SunSport: 'I really liked the honesty from the manager because the message is clear to the players. We're not there yet. 'If you're the manager now coming into that dressing room and you're going, 'We've got a chance this year', the players will think we've got a chance. This year I think his message will be different. 'He was spot on because we were young, it was a little bit up and down last year. At the moment, we're clearly building and moving in the right direction. Advertisement CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 6 Terry also lifted the Champions with Chelsea Credit: Getty 'I'm not sitting here saying I want to wait five years to win another Premier League. We've got to go into it 100 per cent with the mindset of going, 'Yes, we have to try to win the league this year'. 'Without a shadow of a doubt. But there's other big competitions as well. Advertisement Fans spot Liam Delap's reaction on bench after Joao Pedro goal as Chelsea fans say 'this guy can't catch a break' 'You fight right to the end until it's not possible. The Premier League was done last season, Liverpool were very good last year and rightly the winners. We have to compete for that again.' Key to success will be whether or not the fledgling leaders within Maresca's squad can find another level. Reece James, 25, was called out by his manager last season for not doing enough as a captain but has stepped up since. Centre-back Levi Colwill looked to be following in Terry's footsteps at the back before his cruel ACL injury last week. Advertisement And Chelsea's 15-time trophy-winning former skipper has long been impressed by Enzo Fernandez. But James staying fit and leading on the pitch will be vital after missing months at a time with hamstring, knee and thigh problems. Chelsea's transfer deals IN Joao Pedro - from Brighton - £60m Jamie Gittens - from Dortmund - £52m Jorell Hato - from Ajax - £37m Liam Delap - from Ipswich - £30m Estevao - from Palmeiras - £29m Dario Essugo - from Sporting Lisbon - £18.5m Kendry Paez - from Independiente - £17.5m Mamadou Sarr - from Strasbourg - £12.5m TOTAL - £256.5m OUT Noni Madueke - to Arsenal - £52m Joao Felix - to Al-Nassr - £44m Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - to Everton - £28m Djordje Petrovic - to Bournemouth - £25m Lesley Ugochukwu - to Burnley - £25m Bashir Humphreys - to Burnley - £15m Mathis Amougou - to Strasbourg - £12.5m Kepa Arrizabalaga - to Arsenal - £5m Marcus Bettinelli - to Man City - £5m TOTAL - £183.5m TRANSFER NEWS LIVE Terry added: 'For Reece, concentrate on staying fit and having a fully-fit season for him is the most important thing. He can make such a difference. 'We've seen the quality. When Reece is at it, he is the world's best right-back. Advertisement 'When you've picked up a couple of injuries like Reece has had, it's difficult to really feel like you belong. 'So when you start demanding from people around you, when you're the one not playing, that's also very difficult. 'When you're in the starting line-up week in, week out, it's easy to command and run the dressing room — and the standards of the football club.' Terry made more than 500 appearances as captain and says boss Jose Mourinho always demanded his skipper be robust and a regular. Advertisement JT said: 'You need to be robust. You need to understand that you can push through little injuries, niggles, and you can kind of come out the other side of it. 'You need to manage your body throughout the week and all of that.' As well as mentoring players in the Under-18s and U21s, Terry stops in to catch up and offer support to players such as James and Colwill. He even spoke to the pair of defenders before this interview. Advertisement 6 Captain Reece James has found regular football difficult to come by due to injury trouble Credit: Getty 6 Levi Colwill's brutal ACL injury scuppered what was expected to be a strong season Credit: Alamy Terry added: 'We talk generally about football and some situations — but it's super relaxed. 'Out of pure respect, I don't get too involved because I fully respect the manager and his role. Advertisement 'I would never want to say something that goes against what he's saying to those players. 'But the boys know I'm always there if they need me. 'Not just the defenders but the ones that have just arrived. Always here to help. That's my role as someone who has been at Chelsea for so long and the club means the world to me.' And that is the clubman role he wants some of his academy predecessors to take up. Advertisement Terry said: 'You've got Reece and there's a few other boys that really live and breathe Chelsea. 'But the boys that come in and really buy into the club, this is where the importance of Reece, Levi and the academy graduates really play an important role. 'This is how we do it. This is what we do at Chelsea. We win football trophies and we win cups on a regular basis. 'All the top clubs have that. Man United have that, Liverpool have that, Arsenal. Spurs not so much . . . Advertisement 6 Terry was an assistant under Dean Smith at Aston Villa and Leicester Credit: Getty 'But all the big football clubs have that — they find a way to win. 'So in terms of where we were last year . . . a little bit inexperienced. Thiago Silva left and all of that. But the team managed to find a way to win.' Terry also believes recent successes will be transformative for the Blues. Advertisement While the Conference League would have been scoffed at during Terry's era had it existed, now it is viewed as a stepping stone within the camp. He said: 'It gives you belief, back when we won our first one, the 2004-05 Carling Cup at Cardiff, it gives you belief that it can be done within the squad. 'When you're a young group, it ripples throughout the whole squad of players.' If this group can match what Terry and his team-mates did after that Carling Cup win 20 years ago, the Blues will be in for one hell of a ride once more. Advertisement John Terry is an investor in and ambassador for LEBOM — the low-stakes football betting app where It's You vs Your Mates. 18+ BeGambleAware

The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
5 Irish players set for regular Premier League football and 7 on the periphery
5 players likely to get substantial game time Caoimhín Kelleher Kelleher joined Brentford from Liverpool in the summer for €14 million, potentially rising to €21 million in add-ons. The 26-year-old looks set to be finally given a chance as a regular number one, having spent years at the Reds as arguably the Premier League's most reliable back-up stopper. The Cork native already has 25 Premier League appearances under his belt and featured 67 times in all competitions for the Anfield outfit, so he's not short of top-level experience. It'll be interesting to see how he fares with a team that doesn't invariably dominate the ball and concede minimal chances, although he has some experience of that too with Ireland. Nathan Collins Since joining Brentford for a club-record €26.6 million in the summer of 2023, Collins has swiftly developed into a key player for the Bees. The 24-year-old's importance has been highlighted by the fact that new manager Keith Andrews has appointed his fellow Irishman as club captain. Collins was the only outfielder to play every single minute of Premier League action last season, and such reliability has drawn interest from elsewhere, with Tottenham and Liverpool among the clubs rumoured to be admirers of the Leixlip native. Josh Cullen Another Irish international who is the captain of his club. The 29-year-old featured in 44 of Burnley's 46 appearances as they were promoted from the Championship as runners-up last season. And Cullen featured in 25 of 38 matches as the Clarets were relegated from the Premier League the season before last. And the 42-times capped Ireland player is expected to play a prominent role again. The Lancashire-based outfit will be among the favourites for the drop again, but Cullen now has over 100 appearances to his name at Burnley alone, and that level of experience will be invaluable in their bid to avoid relegation. Jake O'Brien Having looked surplus to requirements in the first half of last season after moving to Everton from Lyon in a €20 million deal, O'Brien became a regular after David Moyes replaced Sean Dyche as manager. The 24-year-old made 20 top-flight appearances in total, scoring two goals, and the majority of those came at right-back. The Toffees have been linked with a player who specialises in that position, Kellen Fisher, but O'Brien is expected to get plenty of game time regardless, potentially in his favoured position at centre-half. Advertisement Matt Doherty Another Irish player who benefited from a change in manager last season. Doherty ended up making 30 Premier League appearances last season, but it was only when Vítor Pereira replaced Gary O'Neil as coach that he became a regular starter. The Dubliner will be 34 in January, but, after difficult spells at Tottenham and Atletico Madrid, he has looked increasingly rejuvenated since returning to Wolves. Key to his resurgence has been a positional switch — Doherty now mainly operates as a right-sided centre-back and is no longer required to exhibit the immense physicality required to be a Premier League wing-back. He has made 60 top-flight appearances overall in his last two seasons at Wolves, compared to 44 in three campaigns at Spurs, and he can expect plenty of game time again this season as he is a player Pereira trusts. 7 on the periphery Alan Browne of Sunderland lifts the EFL Championship Play Off trophy. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Alan Browne Much like with the Irish national team, Browne appears to be considered a squad player rather than a guaranteed starter for Sunderland. The midfielder made 22 Championship appearances for the Black Cats last season, 13 of which were starts. The 30-year-old was unlucky because he suffered a leg fracture that meant he missed a substantial portion of the 2024-25 season and was playing catch-up by the time he returned to full fitness. So he could conceivably play a role in the upcoming campaign if he avoids further injuries. But while Jobe Bellingham's €37 million departure to Borussia Dortmund frees up one place, the arrival of four midfielders – Enzo Le Fée (€22 million), Habib Diarra (€35 million), Noah Sadiki (€20 million), and Granit Xhaka (€20 million) — suggests it won't be any easier for Browne to get in the team and a move away may be required. Nathan Fraser One of the young players who has tended to go under the radar, the 20-year-old Ireland underage international made seven Premier League appearances for Wolves in the 2023-24 campaign, though it was amidst an injury crisis at the club. He has yet to score in the top flight, but he did find the net in both the FA Cup and League Cup last season. However, the fact that he started just once in the league suggested he had some way to go before establishing himself as a regular and the theory was backed up last season, when he failed to make a single appearance for the club and had a disappointing loan spell with Belgian side Zulte Waregem that was brought to a halt after five appearances. According to The Athletic, a substantial part of the last campaign saw Fraser work on a programme 'designed to improve his physicality'. The youngster has a contract at Wolves until 2028, though he still appears to be well down the pecking order and is expected to make another loan move this season. Seamus Coleman A hugely respected figure at Everton, but despite a total of 428 games for the Toffees and a one-year contract extension awarded to him last June, it seems the 36-year-old's days as a regular starter are over. Coleman made five Premier League appearances last season, only three of which were starts and the most recent led to his withdrawal in the 18th minute due to injury. He made a total of 12 appearances the previous season, and the odds are against the Donegal native getting into double figures this term. But his influence around the club as long-time captain is ostensibly the reason why he has been kept on, and it would be no surprise to see the Toffees legend graduate to a coaching role eventually. Mark Travers Another Irish Evertonian, Travers joined the club from Bournemouth for €4.6 million in the summer. However, the Maynooth native is not expected to displace Jordan Pickford as first-choice and will likely have to settle for a role as back-up goalkeeper. The 26-year-old had a similar status for most of his time in the first team at the Cherries (he spent nine years there in total), making four Premier League appearances last season in addition to 18 on loan at Middlesbrough in the second half of the campaign. Alex Murphy Since joining from Galway United in 2022, the 21-year-old has made two Premier League substitute appearances for Newcastle in the 2023-24 campaign. The defender also played 13 times on loan in the second half of last season at Bolton, as they finished a few points off the League One play-off places in eighth. Murphy is not expected to break into Newcastle's star-studded team this campaign, so another loan move might be his best option, though the fact that he signed a new long-term contract with the Magpies last year suggests the club rate him highly. Andrew Moran One of Ireland's most promising youngsters, Moran has already made one Premier League appearance for Brighton, coming off the bench in the January 2023 win over Everton. In the last two seasons, the midfielder has made 70 Championship appearances in respective loan spells at Blackburn and Stoke City. This form has seen him rewarded at international level, with Moran winning three Ireland caps — one under Stephen Kenny and two since Heimir Hallgrímsson took charge. It is still a big ask for the 21-year-old to break into a Brighton side with considerable depth, so he may be on the move again before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Michael Obafemi Memorably contributed a goal and assist in Ireland's 3-0 June 2022 Nations League win over Scotland, but it's fair to say that it hasn't worked out as hoped for player and country alike since then. The striker has 12 caps in total, but has only featured once since 2023, largely owing to injury and form-related issues at club level. The 25-year-old did appear twice in Burnley's 2023-24 Premier League campaign, but has not worn the club's colours in almost two years, while he has not made a single league start for the team since joining from Swansea in January 2023. In the last two seasons, he has had relatively underwhelming loan spells in the Championship with Millwall and Plymouth, scoring four goals in 43 appearances. Another exit — either temporary or permanent — is expected, with a move to the Turkish side, Kasimpasa, already falling through during the summer.

The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
Man United drawn away to League Two outfit in Carabao Cup second round
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