He might not be there next season, but Casemiro appears hellbent on leading Manchester United in the Champions League regardless, with the Brazilian so influential again in recent weeks.
The 33-year-old has even left Jamie Carragher eating his words following this recent redemption arc, having looked dead and buried heading toward the climax of the 2023/24 campaign.
Now, the ex-Real Madrid man is front and centre of Michael Carrick's resurgent side, with Sunday's header against Fulham taking him to five goals for the season, a record only bettered by Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Many might have thought United were merely getting a safe and steady holding midfielder back in 2022, but Casemiro has proved he is so much more than that, not least with his no-look assist for Cunha in the weekend triumph.
Casemiro-Man-Utd-Man-City
He is class and character personified, with INEOS facing the unenviable task of trying to replace the £70m man this summer.
Remembering Casemiro's best moments in a Man Utd shirt
A difficult period during Erik ten Hag's final days should not cloud what has largely been a positive story for Casemiro in Manchester, defying the expectation that he would merely be another Bastian Schweinsteiger-type addition.
casemiro-man-utd-career-path
There've been reckless red cards and moments of madness, of course, but those have been outweighed by a string of key acts, not least his opener in the Carabao Cup final win against Newcastle United back in March 2023.
There was also his acrobatic overhead kick against Bournemouth at the tail-end of that season, having also got off the mark in United colours with a last-gasp header at Stamford Bridge, beating his chest in celebration in front of a raucous away end.
2023/24, it must be said, was a low point, although he kick-started the following campaign by rifling home against Leicester City in Ruud van Nistelrooy's first game in charge as interim.
You can't remember 2024/25 without his impact on that night against Lyon, however, with Casemiro cleverly winning a penalty to help reduce the deficit, before supplying two last-gasp assists to spark Old Trafford into a frenzy.
As for the current campaign, meanwhile, there have been five goals to shout about, although it was the veteran's derby performance last month that truly stood out, comfortably emerging as the victor up against the Ballon d'Or-winning Rodri.
The legs, to a degree, might have gone, but that winning mentality and nous certainly still remains, with such traits not exactly easy to find in the current market.
Man Utd already have Casemiro's perfect replacement
It is an era obsessed with youth and long-term thinking, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe having privately and publicly bemoaned the signing of a player like Casemiro, considering the size of the transfer fee and salary.
Casemiro-Man-Utd-form
The talk is that it could cost even more to acquire far less proven figures such as Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba, however, with that Premier League trio likely to cost £100m plus apiece by all accounts.
Casemiro was a five-time Champions League winner, while these talented youngsters have barely scratched the surface at senior level, with INEOS and Ratcliffe needing to carefully consider whether young, fresh legs are worth such a colossal investment.
United do, of course, already boast the man who started the Euro 2024 final ahead of Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo, with the Englishman potentially able to find a new long-term partner next season in the form of Lisandro Martinez.
Now, the Argentine is shining next to Harry Maguire at present, yet with the Red Devils boasting real depth at centre-back, in the form of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Ayden Heaven, perhaps a change in role could be the best solution for all parties.
lisandro-martinez-man-utd
Indeed, if United are looking for that Casemiro-esque quality and mentality, then Martinez is almost a carbon copy, possessing the silk to match the steel, even while somewhat limited physically.
The 28-year-old World Cup winner is a master in possession, ranking in the top 10% of centre-backs for progressive passes this season, as per DataMB.
How often is the ex-Ajax man seen pinging a ball over the top from deep, memorably doing so in last season's win at the Etihad to pick out Amad in stoppage time.
That might have come with Martinez lining up as a left-sided centre-back, but he has the tools to "become a world-class DM", as per analyst Ben Mattinson, having proved as much at Villa Park this season.
Martinez vs Aston Villa
Stat
Minutes
Touches
Pass accuracy
Key passes
Carries
Possession lost
Tackles
Aerial duels
Ground duels
Stats via Sofascore
Deployed in front of the back four in the second-half of that 2-1 loss, the 5 foot 10 warrior was magnificent in that new-look role, spraying passes forward at will, while driving forward himself in possession.
Even as a centre-back, he regularly bombs forward, while possessing that knack for the spectacular, having rifled home last January against both Liverpool and Fulham from range.
With Mainoo taking on the more advanced role, Martinez would be a worthy pick as the midfield anchor in Casemiro's absence.
The summer, undoubtedly, will be dominated by talk of marquee midfield signings, but United's perfect solution could already be in the building.
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