The chef’s surprise. During the 2022 summer transfer window, Manchester United wanted to strike a big blow by offering Erik ten Hag a world-class midfielder. For a long time, the residents of Old Trafford chased after Frenkie de Jong. If Barça was a seller, the Dutchman refused to join England. Then, the Red Devils tried Adrien Rabiot. But here again, the case did not go to the end. And to everyone’s surprise, it was Casemiro who went to the Mancunians. Well established at Real Madrid, we couldn’t imagine the Brazilian changing scenery.
A convincing first season
We more expected to see his older sidekicks Luka Modric and Toni Kroos leave. But the arrival of Aurélien Tchouameni, the project and the big contract offered by MU convinced Casemiro to take off. Bought for 70 million euros, the former Porto player arrived with the label of star, having signed for 4 years (plus an optional year). But his adventure in England did not start off in the best way. In fact, he was sent to the bench several times by Erik ten Hag, who did not want to upset his team which had a string of good results.
Scott McTominay was therefore preferred. Then, the Brazilian international (75 caps, 7 goals) was finally placed in the eleven and he quickly established himself in the midfield. He finished his first season with a record of 51 matches in all competitions (43 starts). Time to score 7 goals and deliver 6 assists. A basic man for Man U, he has already participated in 12 matches, all as a starter. He scored 4 goals and gave 1 assist. But he was unable to help his family, who are experiencing a complicated first half of the season where poor results and disappointments follow one another.
Manchester United wants to part ways
Less impressive, Casemiro is currently on the sidelines as indicated by his club in early November. “Casemiro will be out for several weeks with a hamstring injury sustained in our Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle United on Wednesday.” In his absence, the English played 9 matches, for a record of 4 wins, 1 draw and 4 defeats. But the Brazilian, who returned to training on December 11 according to the Manchester Evening Newsis no longer really so essential in the eyes of its management.
This week, the MEN indicated that his club will listen to offers for him this winter. Like Jadon Sancho, Raphaël Varane and Anthony Martial, the midfielder is pushed towards the exit. The Independent adds that his profile does not exactly match what ETH wants in his position. In addition, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who will invest in the club, believes that his recruitment was not a good idea. He has repeatedly pointed out this transfer during meetings with current leaders.
The Brazilian is annoyed
According to Mirror, he favors the purchase of young players that the club could also resell at a higher price. For his part, the player is not closed to the idea of a change of scenery. The Independent explains that the Brazilian “also looking for different experiences at this stage of his career“. THE Mirror puts forward other arguments. Indeed, the former Real Madrid would regret having signed for Manchester United. In addition, he would be angry with his club for having recruited another midfielder last summer, namely Sofyan Amrabat, and for wanting to buy yet another this winter 2024.
What is certain is that relations between Casemiro and Manchester United are no longer in good shape. A departure is therefore envisaged by the end of the season. But it will be complicated to get rid of it. Under contract until 2026, the Brazilian receives a salary of €22 million (€415,000 per week). Few clubs can offer him so much today. The Saudi teams are capable of it. This is good, because several of them are thinking of him. The Saudi press mentioned the interests of Al Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Alhy without necessarily saying more on the subject. In the meantime, the player is a burden for MU, who will lose in the event of a sale. Between his transfer (€70 million) and his salary (€88 million over 4 years), not counting various bonuses and bonuses, the Brazilian will cost €158 million. A financial and sporting puzzle that MU wants to resolve. The Casemiro soap opera has only just begun…
