Despite spending more than £200m on new players this summer, Manchester United’s rebuild under Ineos is by no means complete, and a key player could make way next season.
Manchester United have found a new gear of ruthlessness under Ineos, which was long overdue, making nearly £100m in sales two summers in a row.
In addition, there has been no hesitation over releasing players instead of keeping them in the name of “protecting the book value”, to borrow a phrase from Ed Woodward.
Fabrizio Romano has now said that another key player this season has a ‘concrete chance’ of leaving the club next summer in the next stage of the rebuild.
Manchester United and Casemiro’s ‘strange situation’
Casemiro’s Man Utd career looked dead and buried at one point last season when Toby Collyer was starting ahead of him.
However, it is to Casemiro’s immense credit that he didn’t just force his way back into the side, but became one of Ruben Amorim’s key players.
Casemiro is the personification of a big-game player, with Amorim trusting him to do a job for him in marquee games, especially now that Bruno Fernandes starts alongside him.
Casemiro was close to a Saudi Arabia move last summer, and the murmurs haven’t died down, but the Brazilian put his head down to become indispensable at Old Trafford.
With his contract expiring next summer, however, United need to make a decision, especially because he is on huge wages that no resurgence can justify.
Fabrizio Romano, speaking on his Here We Go podcast, said United appreciate Casemiro, but it’s more likely than not that he will leave the club.
He said: “It’s a strange situation for Casemiro because he is still a very important player for Manchester United, a very important starter for Ruben Amorim, one of the most important players in the dressing room.
“His status is not just about the performance, but he is a serial winner. He is unbelievable in leadership as a player. He’s still a starter, but at the moment, there are no negotiations to extend his contract.
“There is a feeling among those close to the club that Casemiro might go in the summer of 2026 after rejecting really important financial proposals, especially from Saudi Arabia in the last few years.
“It’s still not guaranteed they will part ways, but there is a concrete chance to see them part ways in the summer.”
Casemiro leaving Man Utd is the correct decision
Casemiro deserves credit for the way he has bounced back at Old Trafford to shed the tag of being a burden on the wage bill, but his long-term outlook was always bleak.
He will turn 34 in February, and Ruben Amorim hasn’t been shy about the need for legs and athleticism in his midfield.
The Brazilian is doing an admirable job of plugging the gaps, but the athleticism will only trend one way with age, so it makes no sense for either party to continue with each other.
Casemiro’s profile could easily net him a good, final pay packet in Saudi Arabia, while United can use those wages to make a move for a player who future-proofs their squad.
He will always be the player who played a key role in breaking United’s trophy drought, and his professionalism will be held as an example, but the move came a bit too late in his career to warrant a contract extension.
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