Bruno Fernandes won’t be paired with ideal midfield partner because of ‘overpaid’ Man Utd star | OneFootball

Manchester United won’t be able to afford the signing of a new midfielder the summer, at least while Casemiro is lingering at Carrington.

INEOS have been working on redesigning this squad, as they look to offload a number of players who were brought during Erik ten Hag’s tumultuous reign, and replace them with stars capable of implementing Ruben Amorim’s playing philosophy.

However, the club’s co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, had lamented the transfer business conducted by United prior to his arrival, as it continues to hamper the club’s operations. The British billionaire went on to label five stars, including Casemiro, as ‘overpaid’ and not ‘good enough’.

Well, it appears that Ratcliffe’s ominous depiction of the situation has been proven correct, as the presence of the Brazilian veteran is reportedly impeding the club’s transfer plans.

According to the Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, Man Utd aren’t able to sign a new midfielder due to Casemiro’s hefty salary.

Casemiro’s wages prevented Man Utd from signing a new midfielder

As the experienced journalist explains, Amorim currently has five midfielders at his disposal, vying for two roles. Following the arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, club captain Bruno Fernandes is now expected to be confirmed in the double pivot, but the identity of his partner remains uncertain.

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The Portuguese’s exceptional playmaking skills would ideally be complemented by a midfield enforcer like Atalanta’s Ederson. After all, Casemiro no longer has the legs to press high as Amorim would have liked him to, while Manuel Ugarte has yet to prove his worth for the cause.

Moreover, Toby Collyer still needs to sharpen his tools before challenging for a starting berth at United, while Kobbie Mainoo’s characteristics are ill-suited for this role.

Why Man United could be stuck with Casemiro

The best solution for the Red Devils is to offload Casemiro who remains the club’s highest earner with a weekly salary that exceeds £300,000.

However, they would need to find him a suitor willing to cover his wages as well as submit a £15 million offer, as a lower transfer fee would prompt a capital loss under the Premier League’s PSR rules.

At this point, Man Utd’s best bet would be to find the former Real Madrid star a club in the Saudi Pro League, but it remains to be seen if the player would accept this destination.