Gary Neville has said that it is not Casemiro’s “fault” for the eye-watering amount that Manchester United paid for him — and I think the Sky Sports pundit has hit the nail on the head.
I don’t think Casemiro should be a beating stick for the problems that the Red Devils have experienced in the past over their woeful club transfer strategy.
Whether it was Ed Woodward, Richard Arnold and John Murtough — three key figures of Manchester United’s haunting past — the club have struggled in so many ways.
I have loved Casemiro’s impact as a player and yearned for the chance to have signed him in his prime, but even my admiration cannot overlook what Gary Neville said.
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Casemiro celebrates with Bruno Fernandes during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford in 2026 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Lee Parker – CameraSport via Getty Images
Were you surprised Casemiro was taken off early?! He is going to be badly missed when he’s gone
It was a big call from Michael Carrick to substitute Casemiro!
Casemiro graphic
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Gary Neville now makes his powerful £140m assessment of Casemiro since the Man Utd star’s arrival at Old Trafford in 2022
The Red Devils agreed a hefty deal worth up to £70m to bring Casemiro to Old Trafford in a blockbuster transfer from La Liga club Real Madrid in 2022.
Manchester United paid an initial £60m transfer fee and agreed to a further £10m in add-ons, with Casemiro impressing in his debut season under Erik ten Hag.
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However, Casemiro’s form has been through its ups and downs before the 34-year-old Brazilian experienced a resurgence under Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick.
I did not mind Casemiro’s drop in form — all players are human, after all — but it was the numbers behind his deal that worried me as a United fan since his move.
Casemiro’s hefty United wages were always a contentious issue, with the 34-year-old Brazilian midfielder on an eye-watering £350,000 per week at Old Trafford.
I think the fact that United legend Gary Neville highlighted that Casemiro has turned into a £140m investment shows a massive problem that cannot be repeated again.
“This [has] nothing to do with Casemiro, this [has] to do with Man United’s poor recruitment over many, many years and them overpaying,” he said on The Gary Neville Podcast, as per Sky Sports.
“They’ve invested £140m in Casemiro, £20m a year in wages and £60m in a fee, that’s not a clever move because they’re now losing him for nothing.”
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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
Gary Neville’s perspective of Casemiro and the negatives from the £140m Man Utd investment is what has I fully agree with
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos regime might be unpopular at times, but it’s clear to see the course correction that they are trying to pull at Man Utd going forward.
I could see why the 71-year-old British billionaire even took a public swipe at Man Utd’s signing of Casemiro during his interview in 2025 about the club’s issues.
Neville, as much as I don’t agree with him on a lot of things, could not have been more right with the fact that United will recoup no transfer fee from Casemiro now.
“If you’re spending £140m on a midfield player over four years, you’d expect that there’d be some sort of residual value at the end of it,” he added.
“You wouldn’t be expecting that he would be running his career down. It’s not a deal they would do now.
“You can’t say it’s been a great investment at £140m, but that’s not Casemiro’s fault.”
Man Utd fans chanted at Casemiro to stay at Old Trafford during Sunday’s encounter with Aston Villa, but this Red Devils supporter could not disagree any more.
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