Manchester United v Fulham - Premier League
Casemiro will leave Manchester United at the end of the season (Picture: Getty)
Manchester United legend Jaap Stam has named two ‘very good’ replacements for Casemiro at Old Trafford.
Casemiro announced last month that he was leaving United at the end of the season after four years at the club.
The Brazilian midfielder endured a difficult start to his spell in the Premier League and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher was among those to urge him to leave towards the end of the 2023-24 season.
But Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, has enjoyed an impressive revival, establishing himself as one of the key players in the squad over the last two seasons.
The 33-year-old has in fact impressed so much that his announcement that he was leaving was greeted with disappointment from Manchester United fans.
‘I will carry Manchester United with me throughout my entire life,’ Casemiro, who won 18 major trophies at the Bernabeu, said.
‘It is not time to say goodbye; there are many more memories to create during the next four months.
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Manchester United legend Jaap Stam (Picture: Getty)
‘We still have a lot to fight for together; my complete focus will, as always, remain on giving my everything to help our club to succeed.’
Manchester United were already planning to sign a new midfielder before Casemiro’s departure after failing to bolster the squad in that area last summer.
But the Red Devils are now expected to bring two new central midfielders to the club for Ruben Amorim’s permanent replacement.
Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba have all been heavily linked with moves to Old Trafford and United legend Stam insists the latter would be a ‘very good’ option.
However, Stam also named Barcelona midfielder and former United transfer target Frenkie de Jong as a player he would love to see join his former club.
‘I really like Carlos Baleba at Brighton and think he could replace Casemiro at Manchester United,’ Stam, who won the treble under Sir Alex Ferguson, told TEAMtalk.
‘I like Frenkie de Jong a lot too, but it looks as though he’ll be staying at Barcelona. Manchester United need to be looking for a replacement that has good legs and the engine to run up and down the field.
‘They also need to be very good with the ball too. Kobbie Mainoo looks to be stepping up his levels and has been performing very well.
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Barcelona star and ex-Man Utd target Frenkie de Jong (Picture: Getty)
‘Alongside him, you need a player who has quality on the ball, who can defend well, and can at times also join in the attack, get into the box and maybe score or create goals for his teammates.’
Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown, meanwhile, views Crystal Palace’s Wharton as the ‘ideal replacement’ for departing Casemiro.
‘United should be looking to sign Adam Wharton in the summer, he’d be a brilliant replacement for Casemiro,’ Brown told BetWright football betting.
‘I love him as a player, and he deserves a move at this point of his career. Casemiro has had an excellent season and has been a great servant to the club.
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‘The fans love him, but when your time comes, you respect that and you leave. I’m sure he will carry on doing an excellent job elsewhere, but I’d be looking at Wharton as an ideal replacement.
‘You’d have the benefit of Wharton knowing the Premier League and playing for his country. I know he would cost a lot of money, but he would be the man for me.’
Manchester United have improved drastically since Amorim was sacked last month and Michael Carrick took over as caretaker manager.
Carrick oversaw four successive wins – including victories over title favourites Arsenal and local rivals Manchester City – before drawing 1-1 with West Ham on Tuesday night.
West Ham United v Manchester United - Premier League
Man Utd drew 1-1 with West Ham last time out (Picture: Getty)
Asked whether Carrick should be the frontrunner for the Old Trafford job, Stam added: ‘It’s quite early to say whether he has done enough to earn the job permanently, but it’s certainly been a very good start.
‘He’s secured big wins, is playing in a very convincing fashion, moving away from Ruben Amorim’s preferred tactical system to a new one, the team has improved a lot both in defence and in possession.
‘Carrick has had a great start – the team are performing well and they’ve earned the results they deserved. That’s all very promising.
‘But it’s still too early to say whether he should stay in the job. He needs to make sure the team finish the season well and qualifies for the Champions League.
‘If he does that, then the club will face a decision of what to do next. But for now, you can see that difference that Carrick has already made, in the team’s approach to games.
‘The players have confidence, and they have a very impressive style of play that allows them to attack well on the break in transition and then defend well as a unit at the other end.
‘Hopefully, the players can maintain this level of performance and if they do maintain a level of consistency, the owners will certainly have a decision to make.’
Having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton, Manchester United now have almost two weeks off before returning to Premier League action against Everton.
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