Man Utd ready to pay £20m to TERMINATE Casemiro contract

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 21 Jan 2024 10:16 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United paid more than £60 million for Casemiro when he signed from Real Madrid in 2022 but the veteran could end up costing the club another £20m just to get rid of him as he faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford.

The 31-year-old has endured a dramatic fall from grace since his big money transfer despite initial success and he has featured just once since the start of November due to injury.

The Brazilian still has more than two years remaining on his contract and the club have an option to extend his deal for a further season, although the Daily Star report that the most likely option is the player being moved on in the summer.

Casemiro was singled out by Sir Jim Ratcliffe as an example of the club’s poor recruitment in recent years, with the player’s fitness and recent performances failing to justify his reported wages in excess of £350,000-per-week.

The report claims that, rather than try and sell him for a cut-price deal in the summer, which would risk being stuck with paying him his huge wages until a move is found, United are prepared to cut their losses and pay off the remainder of his contract, which could cost the club £20m or higher in lost earnings.

United would have to strike an agreement with Casemiro to do but the new regime, headed by Ratcliffe, believe that as long as the player remains at Old Trafford, future transfer targets will be demanding financial parity, meaning terminating his deal could be in the best interests of the club.

Where would Casemiro move to if he left United?

Ratcliffe’s 25% investment in United is expected to be ratified by the Premier League next month and the INEOS CEO has been making plans on how to lead the club into a new era away from their inefficient transfer dealings.

Casemiro does not appear to be a part of that future despite Erik ten Hag still seeing the player as an important part of the squad, with United already lacking numbers and quality in midfield this season.

Teams from Saudi Arabia remain interested in Casemiro, while Juventus and Milan are said to be monitoring the situation and the player himself has also spoken of a desire to finish his career in his native Brazil.

But Casemiro’s wage demands and Ten Hag’s desire to keep the midfielder for the remainder of the season, with no replacement expected this month if he did leave, means that the realistic landing spots for the ex-Real star appear limited at this time.