'One more year' has been the cry at Old Trafford in recent weeks, with Manchester United supporters having implored the club to negotiate a new deal with departing midfielder, Casemiro.
As the Brazilian admitted on international duty, however, his exit appears to be set in stone, amid the impending expiry of his contract, with the INEOS regime likely keen to move on an ageing star who remains United's highest earner.
There is wisdom in the two parties going their separate ways this summer, although considering his form this season, the 34-year-old won't be an easy figure to replace.
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Indeed, at a time when the Red Devils are already light in midfield, the club hierarchy will have to find a way to fill the void of a player who is not only a defensive shield in front of the back four, but also something of a monster in both boxes.
Casemiro's stellar 2025/26 season in numbers
The days of that Selhurst Park debacle in May 2024 look long gone, with Casemiro having been a man reborn of late, particularly under the Michael Carrick regime, already scoring three goals since the Englishman took charge back in January.
The former Real Madrid man notably netted the opener against Fulham back in February, prior to providing a no-look assist for Matheus Cunha, having also headed home in more recent outings against Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
Up to seven goals in the Premier League in 2025/26, that is a tally only bettered by two fellow central midfielders in the division, in the form of Bruno Guimaraes (nine) and Enzo Fernandez (eight), albeit with the latter having regularly been deployed as a more advanced option at Chelsea.
Manchester United's Casemiro in action
Of United's 31 league games, meanwhile, the ageing hero has started in 28 of them, averaging an impressive 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game, bettering a certain Declan Rice in that regard (2.9).
Also fifth among his United teammates with regard to key passes made per game (one), Casemiro has been both creator and goalscorer, albeit while proving particularly menacing in that latter department.
Casemiro vs Rice - 25/26 PL stats
Casemiro
29
7
2
1.0
81%
2.4
0.8
51%
47%
4.0
Since arriving, the £70m man is now up to 24 goals in all competitions, 12 of which have come since the start of 2024/25, thus putting even the forwards to shame at the Theatre of Dreams.
INEOS must sell Man Utd man who's been outscored by Casemiro
Of the five highest Premier League scorers at United this season, it is encouraging that three have been INEOS' trio of marquee signings from last summer, with Cunha chipping in with seven, while Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo have nine apiece.
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Jason Wilcox and co appear to have learned their lesson from the previous summer window, having gambled on youth alone in the forward line, with the £36.5m capture of Joshua Zirkzee.
The Dutchman had previously never been prolific during his time at former club Bologna, netting only 11 Serie A goals in 2023/24, yet was deemed to be the perfect alternative to fellow young striker, Rasmus Hojlund.
What has followed has perhaps been no surprise considering Zirkzee was never a consistent scorer before joining United, with both he and Hojlund netting just seven league goals between them last season.
The one-time Bayern Munich man has added only a further two top-flight goals this time around, scoring away at Crystal Palace and at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, having not started since that December clash with the division's bottom side.
In all, his 69 games in a United shirt have yielded only nine goals, below Casemiro's return of 12 in that same time period, with the 24-year-old having become something of a forgotten man in the Old Trafford ranks.
There are then certainly parallels to the misfortune of his compatriot, Donny van de Beek, in Manchester, with the ex-Ajax man arriving on a similar £40m deal in 2020, having also been just 23 at the time.
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Like Zirkzee, who scored on debut against Fulham in August 2024, Van de Beek's own United career started brightly, netting a consolation on his first appearance against Palace at the Theatre of Dreams.
Similarly to Zirkzee, however, there was always a sense of confusion over the midfielder's best role, neither mobile enough to operate as part of a midfield two, yet neither creative enough to usurp Bruno Fernandes in that number ten berth.
In Zirkzee's case, by his own admission, he is something of a 'nine-and-a-half', lacking the physicality and old-school goalscoring knack to be a leading centre-forward, yet also lacking the speed to be deployed on the flanks.
He certainly mirrors Van de Beek in being a popular figure who supporters are keen to see more of, although right from the off, this felt like a deal that didn't fit, ensuring he could go the same way as his former Netherlands colleague, who departed for Girona on a £500k deal, after scoring just twice in 62 games.
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Zirkzee will be hoping for a more fruitful next step, but it's hard to see these last two years or so as anything other than a wasted step in the striker's career, just as it was for Van de Beek. A summer sale now appears inevitable.
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