Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is reportedly ‘ready to leave’ the Premier League club next summer, with Erik ten Hag willing to sell him.
A number of high-profile Red Devils stars are expected to be moved on at the end of the season as Ten Hag looks to build a team that will dominate in the future.
The likes of Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Scott McTominay have all been heavily linked with departures from Old Trafford recently, for example.
Now, it seems that Casemiro could also be axed as Man Utd look to replace him with a younger defensive midfielder.
18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo was extremely impressive when he made his Premier League debut against Everton on Sunday. He is one player who could be Casemiros’s long term successor.
Man Utd are also keen on young Benfica midfielder Joao Neves, so he is another potential replacement for the experienced Brazil international.
Casemiro has made 63 appearances to date for the Red Devils, scoring 11 goals and making seven assists in the process. He also played a key role in helping his team to win the League Cup last term.
Casemiro open to leaving Man Utd in 2024
According to Football Insider, Casemiro is ‘ready to quit’ Man Utd next year, with a deal more likely at the end of the season than in January.
The report notes that the 31-year-old has been heavily linked with several Saudi clubs over the last few weeks.
It is believed ‘only Middle East sides will be able to afford a transfer fee and the midfielder’s £300,000-a-week+ wages in the new year.’
Man Utd would be looking to recoup around £50m of the £60m (with an additional £10m in add-ons) they spent on Casemiro by selling him.
It will be ‘a hard deal to do for European sides in January’ – with Casemiro still having over two years remaining on his contract at Old Trafford.
The former Real Madrid man is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, and players such as McTominay, Sofyan Amrabat and Mainoo have done a decent job of filling in for him so far.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if any team is willing to splash out £50m on Casemiro in January.
Most likely, though, Ten Hag will have to wait until the end of the season to move him on.
