After rumors appeared that he would stay at Man United, Casemiro officially confirmed that he would not change his mind. Thus, the Brazilian midfielder will have a maximum of 7 more matches with the "Red Devils" before leaving Old Trafford. Therefore, Man United fans should not be nostalgic anymore, they are waiting to see which deal the board of directors will finalize to replace the Brazilian veteran.
According to The Athletic, there are up to 10 names on the transfer list in Man United's midfield, but only 6 are considered highly likely. From the summer of 2025 to now, stars such as Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton, Sandro Tonali, Elliot Anderson,... have been mentioned continuously, but no one is close to the door of Old Trafford.
If to find a perfect replacement for Casemiro is very difficult. Besides Casemiro's unmatched class, the above targets are unlikely to have a diverse skill set like the 34-year-old star. Therefore, it is likely that Man United will have to find 2 people to fill all the gaps Casemiro left and also to rotate with Kobbie Mainoo.
Man United could spend up to more than 70 million pounds in the summer of 2026 to buy 2 midfielders. The attack is temporarily stable with the appearance of the trio Matheus Cunha - Bryan Mbeumo - Benjamin Sesko. If the "Red Devils" sign 2 midfielders, Manuel Ugarte's future is considered to be over. The Uruguayan midfielder is not playing well and after him there are always young talents from the academy ready to be promoted to replace him.
If 2 midfielders are added, Man United can think of a left winger to add to the attack. The failure to recruit Antoine Semenyo in the January transfer window further shows Man United's determination to have more strikers. However, if this position cannot be added, they can completely buy more people to rotate with Sesko.
Or if Michael Carrick is kept, perhaps the center forward for the team will be Sesko and Mbeumo like the 44-year-old coach used the Cameroonian striker recently. Then, the right wing will belong to Amad Diallo, the left wing is Matheus Cunha. Depending on how well Patrick Dorgu recovers, Man United will decide the number of players to buy in attack.
Surplus players such as Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Jadon Sancho (Aston Villa) or Ramsus Hojlund (Napoli) do not intend to return to Man United after the loan contract ends. Current teams of these stars are making efforts to negotiate to finalize a reasonable number with Man United, so the "Red Devils" do not need to worry too much about handling surplus players after the summer 2026 transfer market closes.
Another position Man United also needs to add is the replacement for Luke Shaw. It is almost certain that Dorgu will move up to play as a striker, so currently no one is capable enough to replace the English defender on the left wing. The 2026-2027 season will be Luke Shaw's 13th campaign to contribute to Man United and he has felt tired.
Two young talents, Diego Leon and Harry Amass, are likely to be given opportunities in the summer tour. If they are not okay, they may leave the team to find opportunities to play more football.
Finally, he will be a substitute, even competing for a regular position with goalkeeper Senne Lammens. Andre Onana is definitely not returning and is looking for ways to play long-term for Trabzonspor. Meanwhile, Altay Bayindir is not given a chance and is likely to leave Old Trafford in the summer of 2026 to save his career.
One of the rising names is Radek Vitek of Bristol City, a team playing in the Championship. If the 22-year-old goalkeeper is invited by Man United, he will certainly not miss this opportunity. This season is witnessing Vitek's good form as the Czech goalkeeper has the most saves or is spreading rapidly on social networks.
