Manchester United midfielder Casemiro could stay at the club next season due to his huge pay-off demands, according to The Sun.
The Brazil international had a difficult second season with the Red Devils. He struggled with his form and was also sidelined with multiple injuries.
Casemiro was only on the bench for the FA Cup final against Manchester City. He eventually did not make the squad after a muscle issue in the warm-up.
With United aiming to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain, there have been claims that Casemiro could be offloaded in the near future.
However, that could be far from straightforward. Al Nassr have an interest in him, but they have no plans of paying close to the £30 million asking price.
United are keen to get Casemiro’s £290,000-a-week salary off their wage books, but a release would be expensive. The Brazilian could demand up to £25m.
Hence, it seems the midfielder could continue at Old Trafford next season. His agent is due to meet up with manager Erik ten Hag over the next week.
The former Real Madrid man had a superb debut season with United. He made crucial defensive and offensive contributions and was appreciated by the fans.
However, Casemiro struggled to find the same consistency last term. While he was able to make goal involvements, he was far from convincing defensively.
The midfielder, who has been described as ‘massive‘ by Ten Hag, was prone to being out of position.
He was dispossessed 12 occasions per game and was also dribbled past 2.2 times on average.
United clearly need an upgrade on him for next season. Ugarte would be an ideal successor, but the club could still keep Casemiro in their ranks for another year.
Instead of the huge pay-off, they could utilise his services. Casemiro is no longer in his prime, but he remains a valuable player to provide cover off the bench.
Stats from Sofascore.com
