Manchester United and Casemiro will part ways after this season. The Red Devils announced this on Thursday evening. The reason for the separation is likely to be financial.
Casemiro’s contract with Manchester United runs until June 30, 2026, and includes an option for an additional season. However, as ManUnited announced on Thursday evening, the club will not be exercising this option, meaning that after four years, the two parties will part ways this summer.
“I will carry Manchester United in my heart for the rest of my life,” Casemiro is quoted as saying on the club’s website. “My entire focus will continue to be on giving my all to help our club succeed,” the 33-year-old promised, pledging his full commitment in his final months.
Casemiro joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in the summer of 2022, bringing with him a number of titles. In addition to domestic trophies, he won the Champions League five times with Los Blancos. Accordingly, ManUnited had to dig deep into their pockets for the Brazilian midfielder, with a reported €70 million said to have been paid to the Spanish capital.
Since his arrival at Old Trafford, Casemiro has played 146 competitive games for ManUnited, scoring 21 goals. However, the relationship between the English co-record champions and the Brazilian international was never really happy. It started with the fact that Casemiro was not the preferred choice of then-coach Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman actually wanted his compatriot Frenkie de Jong, but a transfer did not materialize.
Ratcliffe wants to clean up “things of the past”
And then there was Casemiro’s salary. This is rumored to be £375,000 (just under €431,000) per week. This made Casemiro one of the top earners in Manchester United’s already outrageously expensive squad. This was a thorn in the side of co-owner Jim Ratcliffe in particular. In an interview with the BBC, he denied that a number of players were good enough for ManUnited: “Some are not good enough, and some are probably overpaid.” Among the “things of the past” criticized by the 73-year-old was the name Casemiro. “We inherited them and now we have to sort it out,” he announced at the time.
According to the BBC, it was Ratcliffe who clearly and unequivocally spoke out against another season with Casemiro. This is despite the fact that, after a few weaker years, he has stabilized his performance again in the current season and has played in 20 of 22 possible Premier League games so far. That is why there were quite a few people in the club who were in favor of activating the clause. However, Ratcliffe is said to have laid down the law some time ago: Casemiro must pack his bags in the northwest of England in the summer.
Casemiro is available on a free transfer and can showcase his talents at the World Cup
His future is currently still uncertain. However, he is in a good position. With his contract expiring, Casemiro, who may no longer be the fastest but still embodies a high level of skill thanks to his experience and game intelligence, will be available on a free transfer. And with the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico, he will also have a great showcase in the Selecao jersey.
