Man United's lack of depth in midfield means it looks increasingly unlikely that Casemiro will be sold ahead of the transfer deadline.
George is a Senior Football Writer for the Manchester Evening News, mostly covering Manchester United. He previously worked for football.london before joining the MEN team in July 2021. As well as covering United, George is a Championship-enthusiast and co-hosts The Championship Chat Podcast (@Champchatpod24), which you can find on all major podcast platforms.
Manchester United's players trade places during a game in the US tour.
Casemiro (left) is increasingly likely to stay at Manchester United this summer.
(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images.)
With Toby Collyer on the brink of leaving, Manchester United's midfield pool is about to become even weaker.
Collyer, 21, is understood to be very close to finalising a move to West Bromwich Albion. It will mark a first loan spell of his senior career, meaning he will have the opportunity to get regular minutes under his belt.
However, his impending exit only strengthens the argument for United to bring in a midfielder before the transfer window closes on September 1.
With Mason Mount preferred as a No.10 in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system, United's pool of senior central-midfielders will stand at just four players. That is not enough to get United through an entire season.
Ahead of Sunday's Premier League opener against Arsenal at Old Trafford, Bruno Fernandes is the only midfielder who can be considered a guaranteed starter. Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro are all competing to start alongside him.
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The fact there is no guarantee who will start next to Fernandes only strengthens the argument for United to bring in a new midfielder. Brighton ace Carlos Baleba is understood to be at the top of United's wish list.
United's midfield has been a long-term problem they have been trying to fix for several years. Casemiro was excellent in his first season at the club in 2022/23, providing the defensive nous and bite they had been sorely lacking, but he was only ever going to provide a short-term solution, and that was demonstrated the following season.
Ugarte, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, was supposed to be the Brazilian's successor. However, he has struggled to get into any sort of rhythm and his capabilities in possession are limited.
However, at the age of 24, Ugarte still has time to make a name for himself at United, and it is hoped a first full pre-season at the club will stand him in good stead for the 2025/26 campaign. Casemiro, though, has passed his peak and will turn 34 in February.
Casemiro.
Casemiro will still be hoping he has a big part to play this season.
With less than a year remaining on his contract, United should have been trying to sell the former Real Madrid man this summer. They need to secure £15m for his signature to avoid a loss under the profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
United have been guilty of allowing players to run down their contracts and leave for free far too often in recent years, meaning they should have been striving to avoid a repeat of that scenario this summer.
However, with Collyer heading out on loan and still no sign of a new midfielder being brought in, United are looking increasingly unlikely to sell Casemiro, meaning they are poised to miss out on a cash injection.
United have the chance to extend Casemiro's contract by an additional year, taking him through until 2027, but that feels somewhat unlikely. The chances are he will leave the club next summer on a free transfer.
With no European football on the table this season, Casemiro is unlikely to play as regularly, certainly as a starter, as he might have done with European football part of the schedule.
He reserved his best performances for the Europa League last season, struggling to keep up with the pace of the play in the Premier League. However, a lack of midfield depth means it is too risky to let him go right now.