With the 2025-26 Premier League season winding down, several players are seeking next steps, and Manchester United’s Casemiro looks to be nearing a move to MLS.
After announcing that he would make his departure from Old Trafford in January, the Brazilian was said to have been “attracting MLS interest,” with teams potentially looking to add him on a free transfer in the summer.
On Wednesday, The Athletic reported that the last two MLS Cup champions, Inter Miami and the LA Galaxy, had shown interest in the 34-year-old, who would likely take a significant discount from his $94 million deal signed with Manchester United back in the summer of 2022.
While neither Miami nor the Galaxy has a remaining Designated Player spot in their current setup, the Galaxy may be able to buy down striker João Klauss below DP level.
Should they secure Casemiro, he would line up with Marco Reus as another former European standout. Currently, the club has Klauss, Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec as DPs, with Klauss signed to a contract from St. Louis CITY SC to serve as attacking firepower in place of Spanish superstar Riqui Puig, who was sidelined with a second-straight season-ending ACL injury.
Miami, meanwhile, have Lionel Messi, Germán Berterame and Rodrigo De Paul as DPs, as well as a full suite of four U-22 Initiative signings and seven players on Targeted Allocation Money contracts. Although Casemiro would fill the central defensive midfield void left by Sergio Busquets’s retirement, it would require a significant roster move to create space.
A Rare Defensive Star
Casemiro
Few MLS clubs spend significant money on defensive players. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images
Should the five-time Champions League winner, whose best moments came over 336 appearances with La Liga titans, Real Madrid arrive in MLS, he would become one of the few marquee defensive names in the league.
Attacking players highlight the recent veteran European superstars who have arrived in MLS, including Messi, Thomas Müller, James Rodríguez and Son Heung-min, among others.
However, some sides, like Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Cincinnati, have used a DP slot for defensive midfielders, such as Andrés Cubas and Obinna Nwobodo, who have established themselves as elite players in the league. Miami have already used a spot on De Paul in that position.
The 2025–26 season has seen him have a return to peak form with Man Utd as well. After a bright start to his career with the Red Devils, he picked up two red cards in three appearances during his first season. That began a downward trend, as he missed half of his second season, before struggling under manager Erik Ten Hag’s tenure.
This season, though, the Brazil international has rekindled his elite play, scoring seven goals in 28 appearances.
Once the final whistle blows on his Manchester career, he is also set to represent Brazil at the upcoming World Cup in the U.S, which would push into the limelight an American fan base over the summer before a likely move to MLS.
Internationally, Casemiro has made 82 appearances for Brazil, featuring at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, with the 2026 World Cup set to be his third and likely final tournament on the biggest stage.
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