Manchester United asking for €40 million for Casemiro in the summer | OneFootball

Manchester United huffed and puffed and eventually conceded yet another late goal and were held to a 1-1 draw by 19th-placed Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The midweek win against last-placed Sheffield United raised hopes that the team would ditch manager Erik ten Hag’s chaos ball and would employ a more possession-based approach based on new technical director Jason Wilcox’s instructions.

But as fans saw on Saturday, the Dutchman is doubling down and it was an end-to-end encounter with the Clarets bypassing the United press with ease, as most teams have done this season.

The hosts should have gone for the jugular after taking the lead through Antony but the manager decided to play safe and a mistake from Casemiro and Andre Onana saw Burnley equalise from the spot late on.

Casemiro’s poor sophomore season

Injuries have forced Ten Hag to play the Brazilian at the back and the results have been less than satisfactory with the team conceding six goals in their last three games.

Championship side Coventry City scored three in 20 minutes while bottom of the Premier League Sheffield United also netted twice.

And the former Real Madrid superstar was to blame for Burnley’s equaliser as his weak header forced Onana to try and punch the ball and instead, he connected with the opposition player.

While playing as a centre-back is not his forte, the 32-year-old was expected to perform better than he has. But the biggest issue has been seen when the Brazil international has played in his preferred position of defensive midfielder.

The 32-year-old looks like he has lost more than a yard of pace and injuries have not helped either. He has missed 17 games this term with United’s medical team not covering themselves in glory.

Casemiro’s issues this season

In Ten Hag’s new system, Casemiro is often too isolated and he is unable to shield the backline effectively and he has struggled to track runners while he often resorts to last-ditch tackles in a bid to avoid having to run back.

United’s decision to part with £70 million for the Brazilian seems to be a huge faux pas and Sir Jim Ratcliffe was not particularly pleased at United’s short-term approach.

He is keen to change that and new co-owners INEOS are open to moving on the five-time Champions League winner who has admirers in Saudi Arabia and Serie A.

Fichajes have now reported that the Red Devils are holding out for €40 million and there is very little chance Italian clubs can afford such a hefty transfer fee along with the player’s massive wages.

The club are also mulling over the alternate option of paying off Casemiro so that he voluntarily chooses to leave and United free up a massive chunk of their wage bill.

Two alternatives

“Casemiro’s situation at Manchester United could lead to one of the big transfers of this summer with the club weighing the option of releasing him next summer.

“They would accept offers close to 40 million euros, half of what they paid for him who has not proven to be missing piece that was expected when he landed.

“United’s other strategy aims at reach an understanding with the Brazilian player, contemplating the possibility of offering financial compensation to try to force his departure.”

It seems INEOS are adamant that Casemiro has no future at the club and despite his stellar career, it is clear that he is not the best fit anymore and a sale makes sense.

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