Casemiro was great again at the weekend and is crucial to the balance of the team.placeholder image
Casemiro was great again at the weekend and is crucial to the balance of the team. | Getty Images
Casemiro is leaving Man United in the summer when his current contract expires in June.
However, midfielder Casemiro has also looked improved, but, despite that, he will leave the club at the end of the season. The 33-year-old is on a hefty wage of around £350,000 per week, so the club decided against extending his contract, meaning they now need to find a replacement.
It is understood that United will spend big on midfield in the summer, as they want to build around Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes. But they need to ensure they find the right player to replace Casemiro.
Man United set to rival Arsenal and Chelsea for Stankovic
United’s long-term replacement for Casemiro will likely be someone younger that they can develop into a long-term option in the United midfield. Their choice will likely be down to who the next manager is at Old Trafford, but one name they could opt for is Club Brugge’s Aleksandar Stankovic.
The 20-year-old former Inter midfielder has become one of the best young midfielders in Europe since moving to Club Brugge last summer. This season, he has made 37 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing four assists. It is understood that Man United are keen on him.
According to TeamTalk, Man United are very keen on the Serbian international, and are eyeing a summer move for him alongside the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, who are also keen on Stankovic. It isn’t clear how much he would cost in the summer, but Brugge will be very reluctant to sell him, seeing as he has become such a key player for the Belgian side.
Stankovic could be a cheaper alternative to Baleba
However, the Red Devils are understood to be interested in Baleba yet again, but £100m is a lot for a midfielder who is yet to play in Europe and only has three years of experience in the Premier League. Stankovic has a market value of just around £15m, which means he could be considerably cheaper than someone like Baleba.
£15m likely wouldn’t be Stankovic’s price, as Brugge won’t make it easy for him to leave, but even so, he is going to cost much less than Baleba, and likely less than half as much as the Brighton star.
Alternatively, if United do want to spend big on midfield in the summer, they could sign Baleba, and then add Stankovic too, as the Serbian is more defensive and physical, whereas Baleba is more technically sound, so they could complement each other very well.
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