Casemiro was recruited for £60 million, paid £350,000/week, signed a 4-year contract option to extend for another year. Usually, for a 30-year-old player in 2021, it is an economically unreasonable deal to look at. Therefore, the decision to part ways from both sides at the end of this season (without extending for another year) is reasonable.
By the time he said goodbye, Casemiro had played 146 matches for the Old Trafford home team. The journey of the Brazilian midfielder left many controversies. In his first and current seasons, he has received many compliments. Two interspersed seasons between them, this midfielder has declined in form and suffered many injuries. The expensive deal with Casemiro may be wrong but also right in many situations with Manchester United.
The time Casemiro arrived at Man United was when the team had just lost the first 2 matches of the season to new captain Erik ten Hag. At that time, the team pursued Frenkie de Jong for many months but was unsuccessful. Casemiro with 5 Champions League trophies arrived with the task of helping Man United win a ticket to this arena.
In his first season, specifically the first 6 months, Casemiro's appearance was a very big breakthrough. The age of 30 made Casemiro no longer as strong as usual, but his experience was too useful for a team being rebuilt. In March of that year, Man United won the League Cup final against Newcastle. Almost immediately, Casemiro was likened to the club's most successful signing after Eric Cantona.
The second season was not successful for Casemiro, and there were even many opinions that he should leave Old Trafford. That was when this veteran midfielder realized the fierceness of the Premier League, he often did not keep up with the plays on the field, lost his breath and often made mistakes. Partly also due to Ten Hag's continuous pressing philosophy, Casemiro was pushed into a difficult position.
In the Man United 0-4 defeat to Crystal Palace in May 2024, Casemiro played miserably and was commented by Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports that: "He should give up football before being abandoned by football".
After Ten Hag was sacked, when Ruben Amorim came on as a replacement, there were times when Casemiro was considered the number 3 choice, even after 21-year-old midfielder Toby Collyer. After that, he tried to practice and regain his position. Amorim once told the whole team to consider Casemiro as an example of professionalism for everyone to learn from.
In Casemiro's contract with Man United, there is a clause that if he starts all matches from round 23 of the Premier League to the end of the season, the 1-year plus clause will automatically be extended. This is extremely difficult because of age, penalty cards, fitness, and even Carrick's squad arrangement. However, if you look at the appearance statistics from the beginning of the season, Casemiro can meet the requirements. He has started 19/24 matches since the beginning of the season in all competitions and still shows stable values in the role of defensive midfielder.
Casemiro was voted MVP in the Manchester Derby last weekend. That is proof that he is still capable of playing from the start, especially in the context that Man United is currently only playing in the Premier League. Along with captain Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro is also considered an irreplaceable star when he is in the best physical condition.
Man United's leadership at this time is no longer the Glazer and Ed Woodward family. INEOS always prioritizes recruiting players under 25 years old to continuously refresh the squad and have competitiveness. Keeping Casemiro will go against that trend, so the breakup is understandable.
There have been younger names targeted from throughout the 2025 summer transfer window such as Carlos Baleba, Elliot Anderson or Adam Wharton. However, surely none of these come to Man United with a higher level than Casemiro. It is not easy for the "Red Devils" to recruit a star who has won 5 Champions Leagues.
Casemiro said goodbye on the club's homepage. Each match from now until the end of the season is a time for both sides to cherish what remains to each other.
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