Man Utd: Casemiro replacement Joao Gomes is a BARGAIN at €40m

Sam McGuire

Updated: 27 Mar 2024 15:37 GMT
5 min read

It was always going to be a short stint at Manchester United for Casemiro.

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The Brazil international moved to Old Trafford in August 2022 in a deal worth a reported €70.65 million. He was brought in to fix Erik ten Hag’s midfield yet with his two-year anniversary still five months away, there’s talk that the defensive midfielder could soon be replaced.

In some ways, he did fix the midfield. After all, the Red Devils claimed a Champions League spot during the 2022/23 campaign. They also won the Carabao Cup and reached the FA Cup final. Casemiro wasn’t solely responsible for their success but his presence certainly helped shore things up.

However, there were immediate concerns over his signing.

Real Madrid rarely part ways with a player if they are still of use to them. The fact Los Blancos were more than happy to cash in on him so late in the transfer window should’ve been enough for United to be worried. Granted, they had Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni in place to take over as the anchor in the Madrid midfield, the LaLiga giants were perhaps a little too eager to accept the United bid.

Some had concerns over whether or not the midfielder had enough about him at his age to adapt to the rigours of the English top-flight. Those thrilled with the signing ignored the elephants in the room and focused on United being able to sign a world-class player despite not being the most attractive club at the time.

We’re now seeing why it wasn’t the smartest of signings.

Casemiro has made just 15 Premier League starts this term having missed a large chunk of the season with an injury. All of the football he played for Real Madrid combined with the added physicality of the Premier League has no doubt played a part in this.

His disciplinary record hasn’t been the best. He received two red cards last season and was sent off in the Champions League this term as United crashed out in the group stage.

There have been some suggestions that his legs have gone and his current market value is just €27m. United spent big on an asset that was only going to depreciate. He’s still got another two years left on his deal and he’s reportedly on a hefty salary. If he does depart this summer, it’ll be for a significant loss.

But if reports are to be believed, this could well be what is being planned by the new owners at Old Trafford.

Casemiro replacement

According to various outlets, United are eyeing up a move for Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes as they look to replace Casemiro.

This would be a clever piece of business.

Gomes has impressed since moving to the Premier League in January 2023.

The 23-year-old made his debut for Brazil in the recent victory over England and his performance earned rave reviews from Micah Richards. The former Manchester City full-back said: "We have to give a quick shout-out to Gomes of Wolves. Oh my word, what a player he is by the way. Gomes, he is a player by the way. Obviously, we don't get to see Wolves too much on TV. We see them on Match of the Day. Seeing him up close and personal, his touches, his anticipation when he's winning the ball back and his weight of ball forward. Sorry Wolves fans, he's going to the top that lad."

Gomes was courted by Liverpool before the switch to Molineux and he’s been linked with Newcastle United and Spurs this season. There’s a belief that he could be available for €40m due to the financial situation at Wolves right now. If that is the case, he could be a bargain buy for the Red Devils. Pairing him with wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo would see Ten Hag set in midfield for the foreseeable future.

The 23-year-old would be an upgrade on Casemiro. Firstly, his availability record is phenomenal. He’s yet to miss a game with an injury and he’s racked up over 160 appearances for Flamengo and Wolves. Gomes is durable, robust and athletic. Exactly what you want from a midfielder.

He’s used to the physicality of the Premier League and his defensive numbers are impressive. He makes more tackles than Casemiro, he wins a higher percentage of tackles and he’s dribbled past on fewer occasions. The Wolves man is busier but he is also more successful in his defensive actions.

The No8 was also fairly dominant defensively when playing in Brazil. He reads the game well and it allows him to be a chameleon.

Gomes attempts fewer passes than Casemiro but that could be tied to the system he’s used in. It should be easy to scale though and his success rate with the ball is already identical to the United man.

The only concern is the fact he gives up a lot of fouls. Only Conor Gallagher (58) has committed more fouls than Gomes (44) this term, but maybe that sort of steel in midfield is needed at Old Trafford. They have lost an absurd number of games already this season. Does that happen with a more robust midfield?

If United bring in Gomes to succeed Casemiro, it would be a sign that things are changing at Old Trafford. It'd be an incredibly smart piece of business.

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