Avoid relegation, squad rebuild, Viktor Gyokeres plan - Manchester United's ambitions for 2025

Manchester United brought 2024 to a close with a whimper on Monday evening, losing 2-0 to Newcastle United at Old Trafford.

It marked a fourth successive defeat in all competitions and a third Premier League game without a goal. As a result, United have entered 2025 occupying 14th in the Premier League table, seven points above the drop zone.

United will kick-off the New Year on Sunday with a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool. In truth, they could not have asked for a more daunting challenge to start the year.

With the exception of winning the FA Cup last May, 2024 was not a year many United fans will look back on with fondness, meaning they will be praying 2025 is much more fruitful. With that said, MEN Sport has picked out five aims United should have for this calendar year.

Covering United since July 2021, never once did I envision writing about United and the threat of relegation in the same sentence. But with United having lost five of their last six league games, their current form is resemblant of a team destined for the drop.

United currently have a seven-point cushion to 18th-placed Ipswich Town but that gap could be reduced to four by the time Michael Oliver produces the first shrill of his whistle at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. A win for Ipswich and a defeat for United this weekend will have the latter looking over their shoulder even more nervously.

In truth, it is highly unlikely United will be playing Championship football next season, but nothing can be guaranteed in this sport. Their first aim of the New Year has to be to pull clear of immediate danger and avoid the unimaginable scenario becoming fractionally believable.

Facing Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup in a little over a week's time,