Manchester United 2025/26 Player Ratings: Fernandes Shines as Carrick's Era Begins

The books are closed on Manchester United’s 2025/26 season, and for the first time in a while, they make encouraging reading. Third place, Champions League football secured, and Michael Carrick confirmed in the dugout on a permanent basis. After two years of drift, Old Trafford finally feels like it has a direction again.

It was a season driven by a handful of outstanding performers, some quiet revivals, and a few brutal reality checks. Here’s how the squad measured up.

Goalkeepers

Senne Lammens – 9

Signed without fanfare, Lammens ended the season as one of the standout goalkeepers in the league. He arrived with minimal expectations and left no doubt about his status. Commanding, composed, and decisive in big moments, he turned a problem position into a strength. The scary part for the rest of the division: he should only improve next year.

Altay Bayindir – 3.5

The contrast could not be sharper. Bayindir’s early-season errors cost United points and, with them, any realistic tilt at the title. His shaky displays set the tone for a difficult autumn and forced a change in goal. It feels like the end of the road; this is likely his last campaign at the club.

Full-backs

Luke Shaw – 7.5

Shaw finally delivered the season United have been waiting for. Fit, consistent, and influential, he stitched together arguably his best year in a red shirt and even capped it with a goal against Forest. The question now is whether this was a long-overdue reset or a one-off surge.

Diogo Dalot – 7.5

Carrick’s arrival transformed Dalot’s campaign. Restored to a more natural full-back role, he became one of the first names on the team sheet from January onwards. Confident on the ball, reliable off it, he looked like a player reborn under a manager who clearly trusts him.

Patrick Dorgu – 6.5

Dorgu’s season promised more than it ultimately delivered. A strong spell from late December to late January hinted at a genuine breakthrough, but injury stopped him in his tracks. If he stays fit, left-back minutes should be there for him next season.

Noussair Mazraoui – 5

Twelve months ago, Mazraoui looked like a shrewd signing. This time around, he never got close to that level. A shadow of his debut-season self, he struggled for rhythm and influence. A summer sale cannot be dismissed on this evidence.

Tyrell Malacia – 2

Malacia’s campaign barely existed. Two brief outings off the bench against Newcastle, neither convincing, and a lowlight in being turned inside out by William Osula. With his free transfer exit already confirmed, his United chapter ends with a whimper.

Centre-backs

Leny Yoro – 6.5

Hot one week, cold the next. Yoro’s season was a snapshot of a talented young defender still learning the demands of elite football. There were flashes of real promise, but not enough to nail down a starting role. More minutes should come next year, though a loan move has to be on the table.

Harry Maguire – 7.5

Maguire’s United career has had more twists than most, and this season brought another. Instead of drifting out, he earned a new deal and re-established himself as a trusted starter for Carrick. His experience and resilience will be vital when the Champions League anthem returns to Old Trafford.

Lisandro Martinez – 7

The story with Martinez remains stubbornly familiar. When he plays, United look better: aggressive, front-foot defending, leadership. The problem is how often he cannot play. His injury issues are too frequent, and the club can no longer plan a season around his availability. They may need to lean on him less to go further.

Matthijs de Ligt – 5

The season started with Rio Ferdinand calling De Ligt United’s best defender. By December, he was out injured and never returned. Those early months showed what he can bring, but surgery and a long lay-off wiped out his momentum. United need that autumn version back early next season.

Ayden Heaven – 8

Heaven was one of the revelations of the campaign. Whenever he started, he looked untouchable: assured, physical, and calm under pressure. United’s reduced fixture list limited his involvement, but on pure performance he has a strong case to start ahead of Martinez next year. This feels like the start of something.

Tyler Fredricson – 2

A season that promised opportunity faded quickly. After the humbling defeat to Grimsby in August, Fredricson did not play another minute. All signs point towards a summer departure.

Midfielders

Bruno Fernandes – 10

Perfection. Fernandes delivered a season for the ages, the best player in the Premier League and recognised accordingly. He equalled the league assist record and dragged United’s attack into life week after week. This was not just numbers; it was authority, invention, and relentless standards. United are fortunate he wears their armband in this kind of form.

Casemiro – 9

If this was Casemiro’s farewell, he left on his own terms. The Brazil captain produced the highest goal tally of his career and imposed himself in key moments, cementing his place as a cult hero at Old Trafford. A heavyweight midfielder bowing out with impact, not regret.

Kobbie Mainoo – 8

From the brink of the exit door to the heart of the project. Mainoo’s resurgence after Ruben Amorim’s departure was one of the season’s most encouraging stories. He reclaimed his starting spot, signed a new long-term deal, and reminded everyone why he is considered special. Lost time is being recovered quickly.

Manuel Ugarte – 3.5

United fans began to dread seeing Ugarte’s number go up on the board. His substitute appearances often coincided with the team losing control and, too often, losing games. The pattern became impossible to ignore. Trust has eroded, and a summer sale now looks more likely than not.

Mason Mount – 5.5

For a brief window under Amorim, it looked like Mount might be about to take off. Then the injuries came, the minutes dried up, and the season drifted by. With the squad evolving and others stepping up, it is hard to see a clear role for him beyond this summer. The club may decide to cash in.

Jack Fletcher – 5

A debut season that never quite found its stride. Used in a miscast, more defensive role against Newcastle, Fletcher struggled to show his strengths. There should be more opportunities next season, ideally in a position that suits him.

Tyler Fletcher – 5.5

Unlike his twin, Tyler’s single outing came in his preferred role, and he looked far more at ease. Confident, tidy, and unflustered, he hinted at a higher ceiling if given time.

Forwards

Matheus Cunha – 8

Cunha’s first months were quiet; his finish to the season was anything but. Ten league goals in his debut campaign, after a slow start, underline how he grew into the shirt. Direct, busy, and increasingly clinical, he looks primed to go up another level next year.

Benjamin Sesko – 8

From “worst signing of the summer” to one of its smartest. Sesko answered early doubts with 11 league goals in just 17 starts, a return that speaks to his movement and finishing. Once he settles fully into the rhythm of English football, those numbers can climb again.

Bryan Mbeumo – 7.5

Mbeumo joined Cunha and Sesko in hitting double figures, a strong return for a first season. Yet his trajectory went the wrong way under Carrick, fading rather than flourishing as the campaign wore on. The talent is obvious; consistency must follow.

Amad Diallo – 5.5

After lighting up 2024/25, this was a sobering step back. Amad’s all-round play remained lively, but his finishing deserted him and he closed the season with just two goals. The tools are there; what he needs now is conviction in front of goal and a reset over the summer.

Joshua Zirkzee – 4

There were flashes of technique and link-up play, but across the season Zirkzee never convinced as a long-term United forward. This campaign has only strengthened the sense that a parting of ways is on the horizon.

Shea Lacey – 7

Lacey’s cameos crackled with promise. Bright, fearless, and clearly above academy level, he looked ready for more. A red card in the FA Cup blotted his copybook, and his stunning effort against Burnley stayed inches from perfection, but the direction of travel is clear: he should see plenty of minutes next season.

Bendito Mantato – 5

Mantato’s involvement was limited and his impact modest. He did little wrong, but nor did he force his way into the core rotation. Next season will tell whether he can turn potential into presence.

Carrick now steps into a pivotal summer with a clearer picture than ever of who can carry United into the Champions League and who belongs in the past. With Fernandes at his peak, Lammens emerging, and a new spine taking shape, the question is no longer whether United are moving forward — it is how fast they can close the gap to the very top.