Casemiro proved against Aston Villa that he is going to be difficult to replace and one contender failed to impress at Old Trafford.
In the 3-1 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, the deadlock was broken by Casemiro, who scored his seventh goal of the season from a Bruno Fernandes set piece.
After the full-time whistle, United fans chanted for Casemiro to spend one more year at Old Trafford after he announced he will be leaving at the end of the season.
Replacing Casemiro is a top priority for Ineos in the summer, and while I want United to sign Elliot Anderson, a deal for the Nottingham Forest star could be complicated. Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana is a contender to replace Casemiro, but he failed to impress at Old Trafford.
Casemiro showing the Manchester United badge
Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images
Do you agree with our top player ratings vs Aston Villa?
What would YOU change?
Player ratings v Villa
Amadou Onana did not stand out for Aston Villa vs Man Utd
Onana has been a long-term target for United, dating back to his time at Everton.
I was looking forward to seeing how the 24-year-old handled Old Trafford on Sunday, but I couldn’t help but feel like he was overrun by United’s midfield, including Casemiro.
As per SofaScore, Onana only won one of his six duels against United – a success rate of just 17%.
More United News
Standing at 6ft 5in, Onana has the stature and physicality to replace Casemiro, but I watched him become a passenger at Old Trafford. He failed to win a single aerial duel and was well-beaten by Casemiro every time they went head-to-head.
United need a top-class midfielder who can fill Casemiro’s void in and out of possession, and Onana did not do enough to keep his name on the summer shopping list.
I would pay a MAXIMUM of £___ per-week to Casemiro to extend his contract
Fill in the blank with your offer. Casemiro earns around £350k/week right now. Will you go high or walk away?
Casemiro showing the Manchester United badge
Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images
Why Man Utd shouldn’t push for an extra Casemiro year
There is no denying that Casemiro is playing some of the best football of his United career in what seems to be his final year at the club.
Understandably, there have been calls for Casemiro to stay and extend his contract by one more year.
However, United in the past have been victims of being too emotional in the transfer window and holding on to players when they should have been moved on.
READ MORE: What Michael Carrick did for Casemiro just before full-time vs Villa makes him perfect Man Utd manager
This summer is a golden opportunity for United to dip into the market and sign multiple top-class midfielders who can be long-term heirs to Casemiro. There is no guarantee that players with the quality of Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton or Carlos Baleba will be available in a year’s time.
Casemiro’s swansong at Old Trafford has been nothing short of unbelievable, but it is still the right decision to wave goodbye to the Brazilian as he leaves on a high note.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox