Gary Neville believes Manchester United have a golden opportunity to mount a serious Premier League title challenge in the next year or two, and he's pointing to the turmoil among their biggest rivals as the reason for his optimism.
Speaking on The Overlap podcast, the legendary former United and England right-back acknowledged that manager Michael Carrick may still need time to fully implement his vision at Old Trafford. But Neville argues that the circumstances across the division could swing heavily in United's favor sooner than most fans expect.
"Arsenal isn't brilliant. They're better than United, but Liverpool are just shaking a little bit. Chelsea is all over the place. Tottenham are all over the place," Neville said bluntly. "If Manchester City were to be found guilty of some of the more serious charges, there is a genuine opportunity to win the league in the next year or two."
The 115 financial charges still hanging over City remain one of the biggest unresolved issues in English football, and Neville isn't the only high-profile figure to suggest a significant verdict could reshape the title race entirely.
But even with his bullish outlook on United's title prospects, Neville stopped short of fully endorsing Carrick as the man to lead them there. The Sky Sports pundit floated the possibility that the club could eventually pursue a bigger managerial name, suggesting Carrick could use the upcoming campaign to build strong foundations before the board reassesses.
"If he beds the foundations in over another year — good principles, good culture, the club happier again, the staff trusting him — you could then go and make a bigger appointment," Neville added.
Carrick took over on an interim basis in January and has already impressed, securing nine wins from his first 13 Premier League matches. United currently sit third in the table and have clinched a return to the Champions League — a major boost for the club's summer transfer plans.
Neville's comments come at a pivotal moment for the club, with questions over Carrick's long-term future still unresolved by the board. Whether he's given the chance to lead this charge remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the path to the Premier League title might be more open than it has been in years.