Next season will see three Man United players in the final years of their contracts, so the club's actions over the summer will tell us everything.
Man United is in code dark red right now. The season just passed was the worst in recent history and even the oldest members of the Old Trafford faithful would be hard-pressed to remember a tougher period than this one.
The man at the helm, Ruben Amorim, was hired with a lot of trust. Understandably, the fanbase is divided over whether he's the right man for the job.
While Amorim's personality is undeniably infectious and he seems to appreciate how dire this situation is, he also owes minimal loyalty to Man United. He's also unproven as far as the fans are concerned.
In his immediate periphery will be the looming contract situations of these three Man United players.
3 Man United players with contracts expiring in 2026
According to data from Transfermarkt, there are three Man United players with contracts expiring in 2026.
Casemiro
Casemiro is the highest paid player at Man United and frankly, extending his contract without a serious pay cut could make no sense for the Red Devils. Not that we'd be expect Casemiro to willingly take a pay cut, so his contract will run its course.
The Brazil international is certainly one of the best midfielders of all-time, but he doesn't even touch the top 10 in Man United history. His legacy was largely dependent on his Real Madrid days, where he became an absolute world beater.
Those skills were not transferrable at Man United, and he'll leave with plenty of regret.
Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire has experienced a rollercoaster of emotions at Man United. Signed for a hefty fee and given a huge contract, fans naturally expected plenty from him. However, the Englishman went through periods of dire performances.
In more recent history, Maguire has been a reliable defender for Man United. However, due to the club needing new heroes, it makes sense that Maguire doesn't sign a contract extension.
Daniel Gore
Daniel Gore is the final Man United player who is due to run out of contract in 2026. There isn't much discussion surrounding his future and as it stands, Man United's stance is unknown. However, we can hazard a pretty good guess.
Gore has been incredibly limited in his first team opportunities. Despite signing as a talented youngster and showing great signs of improvement in the youth team, Gore has made just one senior league appearance for Man United.
Therefore, it's unlikely that he's earned a contract extension beyond this season. However, nothing is stopping Gore from going out there and being a star Man United regrets letting go of - Now where have we seen that before?