Staggering Man Utd U-turn over Casemiro confirmed as sources reveal veteran star’s transfer priority | OneFootball

Manchester United are considering keeping Casemiro for at least one more season, with sources revealing the experienced Brazilian star has put potential talks with other clubs on hold in an update that will fly in the face of some stinging Jamie Carragher criticism.

Decorated midfielder Casemiro moved to Old Trafford in a £60m (€70m, $84m) move from Real Madrid in the summer of 2022 from Real Madrid and enjoyed an excellent first campaign under Erik ten Hag.

But while a drop in standards the next season followed, that was nothing compared to the 2024/25 campaign when Casemiro came in for a whole manner of criticisms as the club bounced from one crisis to another, replacing Ten Hag with Ruben Amorim, before eventually finishing in 15th – their lowest in Premier League history at Manchester United.

By widespread accounts, United were very much open to letting Casemiro leave over the summer, but with the player reluctant to turn his back on his hefty financial package, rumoured to be worth in excess of £350,000 a week, there were no takers for the 82-times capped Brazil midfielder.

However, this season, the 33-year-old midfielder has been back to, while not quite his pomp, certainly in very excellent form. Thriving under Amorim, he has emerged as one of his most trusted performers and having made 14 starts in the Premier League this season.

Casemiro’s current contract expires at the end of the season, although United do hold an option to extend that by a year.

But we can now confirm that United have already engaged with Casemiro’s camp over a renewal, with the club now making it clear they are very much open to him remaining.

We can confirm that United will not take up that one-year option, given he is currently the club’s highest earner, but they are talking to him about extending with a significant reduction in his terms.

Significantly, we understand that Casemiro would be open to a reduction if it meant at least one more season at Old Trafford, as the former Real Madrid man loves playing for the club.

As a result, an extension at Old Trafford is now thought to be the player’s top priority, with his wife and young children settled in the area.

Casemiro priority confirmed as Carragher is proved wrong

Casemiro’s priority to remain at Old Trafford is also significant given the player is the subject of strong interest from sides in the Saudi Pro League, who would be willing to offer him a salary in excess of his current package at United.

We can confirm that the interest from Saudi Arabia is genuine, and they saw the player as a strong target for the summer window. However, the fact that he is now giving United his priority means their interest may need to be shelved for 12 months at least.

Monday night’s appearance in the entertaining 4-4 draw against Bournemouth was the player’s 140th in United colours; any new deal could see him surpass the 200 mark before too long.

In the meantime, Casemiro’s resurgence in midfield will fly in the face of some strong condemnation from pundit Jamie Carragher.

The former Liverpool man has been particularly vocal in his criticism of the player, famously telling him in April 2024 that his “legs had gone” before urging him to “leave the game, before it leaves you”.

It remains to be seen what the Sky Sports pundit thinks about the Brazilian’s return to form, or his thoughts about a possible renewal at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, the race to sign Antone Semenyo has cranked up to another level in the last few days after Fabrizio Romano revealed United have been in contact with the player’s agent, while our sources can reveal the Bournemouth star’s number one choice amid strong interest from Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Elsewhere, United are strongly considering a move to sign one of the Bundesliga’s finest midfielders as a potential replacement for Bruno Fernandes, following the captain’s unwelcome criticism of the club this week.

United’s transfer strategy will continue to take shape with the club increasingly focused on signing players already proven in the Premier League, and we can reveal that a quartet of players from Bournemouth are firmly on their radar.

The Al-Hilal midfielder has made it clear he won’t be signing an extension, and talks over a January move have been held with several sides, of which United are one.