Manchester United will lose the veteran presence of Casemiro in the summer, which is already looking like a blow, but another, quieter summer exit is not being talked about enough.
The upcoming summer is again set to bring a transformation of the Man Utd squad, powered by the exits of Marcus Rashford (potentially), Jadon Sancho, Casemiro, and more.
Harry Maguire’s contract talks are taking place, and Michael Carrick has restored the veteran spine of the team by unleashing Bruno Fernandes again.
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However, amidst all these high-profile stories, a quieter summer exit looms on the horizon for Man Utd, one which is equally significant for the dressing room.
Man Utd’s dressing room is led by Tom Heaton
For years, teams have used that third goalkeeper squad spot to pad up their homegrown quota for registration purposes.
For Man Utd, the leader of their dressing room occupies that spot because Tom Heaton’s impact off the pitch has long been praised at Carrington.
It helps that Heaton is homegrown and the last remaining link to the Sir Alex Ferguson era, but his mentorship, professionalism, and standard-setting are second to none at Old Trafford.
Many players have said that Heaton keeps the dressing room in check, while also making it a fun place to be by being welcoming to new players and youngsters.
Amad is the latest player to praise his impact on the Inside Carrington podcast, revealing how Heaton is an “unbelievable man” who “gives advice” and keeps everyone “humble”.
It’s not for nothing that he keeps getting contract extensions despite never playing a game, but that could be about to change.
Heaton will have turned 40 by the end of the season, and while the role of a third-choice goalkeeper is to just be a presence in training, lowering the standards of training doesn’t help anybody.
Heaton can just as easily transition to a role behind the scenes, but that is still not comparable to being in the dressing room every day, keeping the players in check.
Casemiro’s exit will hurt, but if Heaton leaves with him, that makes United’s decision on Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes easy.
Harry Maguire’s contract must be extended
Ineos have made no secret of the fact that they want to build a younger team and move on some of the high-earning players off the wage bill.
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However, there needs to be a balance between exciting youngsters and experienced heads guiding them to glory.
With Casemiro leaving, and the clock ticking on Heaton’s career, United can’t afford this summer to be one where they let two more experienced players leave.
Maguire and Fernandes have been at the centre of exit rumours for the upcoming summer, but losing the four most professional and experienced members of the dressing room in a single summer would be brutal.
It is only now that the United dressing room is beginning to leave behind the cracks of previous regimes by becoming a better place.
The experienced players deserve immense credit for pioneering that change, and that must be rewarded.
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