Man United star wants Harry Maguire and Casemiro to stay at Old Trafford | OneFootball

Manchester United defender Leny Yoro has expressed a strong desire for experienced teammates Harry Maguire and Casemiro to extend their stays at Old Trafford beyond the current season.

The 20-year-old centre-back believes their continued presence is crucial as the club pushes for Champions League qualification.

United have enjoyed a significant upturn in form since Michael Carrick took over as head coach in January, winning seven of their nine matches.

Both Maguire, 33, and Casemiro, 34, have been integral to this resurgence, starting every game under Carrick. However, like the popular interim coach, their contracts are set to expire in the summer, leaving their futures uncertain.

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Harry Maguire has been backed for another year at Old Trafford (PA Wire)

Yoro was particularly effusive in his praise for Maguire, who has been a consistent performer during this period.

"Yeah, of course, having Harry in the team is good for us," Yoro stated. "If he can stay next season, it’s really good for us, so I hope he’s going to extend his contract and he can stay with us. We’ll see, we’ll see anyway."

The defender, who is reportedly hoping for an England recall, has re-established himself as a key figure after experiencing both highs and lows since his £80m move in 2019.

The young Frenchman also highlighted the importance of Casemiro, whose influence was evident as United secured a vital 3-1 victory against Aston Villa, a match in which the Brazilian opened the scoring.

Fans chanted for Casemiro to stay for "one more year" during the game. Yoro echoed this sentiment, saying: "Everyone wanted him to stay. He’s a really important player for us, he showed it again today.

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Casemiro opened the scoring against Aston Villa on Sunday (PA Wire)

“Even in the dressing room, every day, he has the experience that no one else has in the team. He won everything, so this helped us a lot in the games and even outside the pitch."

Despite this, Casemiro, a former Real Madrid star, indicated in January that he would be leaving this summer, making a new deal appear less likely than for Maguire.

Yoro himself has overcome a shaky spell earlier in the campaign, and credits playing alongside seasoned professionals like Maguire for his improved form.

"I think every player has this phase in a season," he reflected. "Sometimes you have bad moments, bad performances, and I’m happy to do good games now, to rebound well, so I’m just happy with the result."

He added that Maguire’s guidance has been invaluable: "With all the experiences he has, he gave a lot of tips, he spoke to me a lot on the pitch, so this helped me a lot.

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Yoro is focused on getting United back into the Champions League (PA Wire)

“He always speaks with me, like with the striker, sometimes he speaks before the game, or at half-time, about positioning as well, so playing with him is really good for me."

Looking ahead, Yoro is focused on securing a top-four finish and bringing Champions League football back to Old Trafford.

"I think every player wants to play Champions League, especially when you play for United," he affirmed. "This club has to play the Champions League, so hopefully we’re going to get it next season."