Juventus, Saudi Arabia among options for Casemiro should Manchester United sell him | OneFootball

From arguably being the signing of the season last term, Casemiro has looked like a shadow of his former self this campaign.

Injuries have not helped with the Brazilian missing 17 games across all competitions this season, something manager Erik ten Hag pointed out as being the primary reason behind the former Real Madrid superstar’s poor showings this season.

The five-time Champions League winner looks like he has lost more than a yard of pace, which has rendered him ineffective especially in the manager’s new flawed high-transition style.

Casemiro is often left alone to deal with constant counter-attacks and he is often seen struggling to track back or sliding into unnecessary challenges in the middle of the pitch in order to avoid having to run back.

Casemiro’s poor second season in England

If the Dutch manager stays on and keeps playing this way, the 32-year-old is better served looking for pastures new. The only problem is it is not the coach who wants the Brazil international out, but the new co-owners of the club.

It has been widely reported that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is far from impressed with the club’s decision to pay big money to sign such a short-term fix while he is also the second-highest earner at the club.

Due to rising FFP concerns, INEOS want to trim the wage bill and move players on so as to raise capital which will then be used to acquire new stars and Casemiro certainly looks like someone who might be moved on at the end of the current campaign.

Saudi Arabia is seen as his most likely destination with multiple clubs willing to spend big in order to land the five-time Champions League winner.

UOL’s Raphael Reis mentions that the Red Devils would like to recoup a decent chunk of the €70 million they spend on the defensive midfielder two summers ago.

Apart from Saudi, Juventus are also keen but from a United perspective, Saudi remains the best option as they are willing to pay a decent transfer fee as opposed to the Serie A side.

A move to The Old Lady could be beneficial if the superstar has ambitions of playing in the next edition of the World Cup in 2026.

The report also rules out a return to Brazil as clubs there can ill-afford to pay a sizeable fee for the player while the former Sao Paulo star’s wages are another huge roadblock.

“Despite being 32 years old and having had a less-than-positive spell at United, Casemiro continues to have a strong market abroad.

Future options for Casemiro

“If he wants to continue being competitive (so as not to lose space with the yellow shirt and maintain his chances of playing in the 2026 World Cup), the Brazilian can move to Italy, for example – Juventus has already expressed interest in counting on his football.

“If Casemiro’s intention was to make even more money, Saudi Arabia will be with open arms to welcome him. The midfielder is one of the main targets of the wealthy Middle Eastern country for next season.

“Another factor that greatly complicates (almost makes it impossible, to be more precise) a player’s return to Brazil is the financial engineering of his signing.”

It will be interesting to see what United decide to do with Casemiro. While he is a great player, his pace makes him a liability for a team that wants to press high.

He still has the qualities to sit deep and pass it to teammates as he showed last season but the eventual style will decide his fate.

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