With the page about to be turned on (yet another) potential new chapter at Old Trafford, Manchester United have rolled out their home kit for the 2026-27 season in the Premier League and their return to the UEFA Champions League.
Sources have told ESPN that United are planning talks with Michael Carrick about continuing as head coach next season. While it looks like they will turn to their former player to continue the resurgence he has led, the club have gone even further into the past to get inspiration for their new jersey.
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While perhaps not immediately obvious, the design for the shirt takes its cues from those worn by United during the mid-1970s, specifically the ones worn during the FA Cup winning season of 1976-77 when Tommy Docherty’s side saw off rivals Liverpool in the final.
The Red Devils also finished sixth in the league and suffered early exits from both the League Cup and the UEFA Cup that season, but that probably wasn’t at the forefront of anyone’s mind when the jersey was being put together.
The Admiral-branded shirts United wore at Wembley that year boasted striped polo collars and cuffs which have been given a contemporary reworking by Adidas to mark the 50th anniversary of that famous 2-1 cup win in which all three goals were scored within the space of just four dizzying second-half minutes).
The 2026-27 version is similarly plain and understated with a bright red base and a sprinkling of black and white detailing. The narrow striping returns to the fold-over collar and sleeve cuffs with the only other feature of note being a small “United” banner applied on the back of the jersey, above the player name.
Adidas have slapped their new, obnoxiously oversized stripes down the sleeves and it’s fair to say that they don’t particularly mesh well with the rest of the design’s relatively fine detailing.
United could debut the new kit when they welcome Nottingham Forest to Old Trafford on Sunday in what will be their final home game of the 2025-26 campaign.
