He may not be there next season, but Casemiro still seems committed to leading Manchester United in the Champions League, with the Brazilian having once again been a big influence in recent weeks.
The 33-year-old looked dead and buried heading into the climax of the 2023/24 season, leaving Jamie Carragher munching his words after this latest arc of redemption.
The former Real Madrid man is now a key figure in Michael Carrick’s resurgent side and his header against Fulham on Sunday netted him his fifth goal of the season, a tally only surpassed by Benjamin Sesco, Matheus Cunha and Brian Mbeumo.
While many may have thought United were simply signing a safe, stable holding midfielder in 2022, Casemiro proved he was much more than that, especially with his no-look assist to Cunha in the win at the weekend.
He embodies class and character and INEOS face the unenviable task of replacing the £70 million man this summer.
Remembering Casemiro’s best moments in a Manchester United shirt
The difficult times of Erik ten Hag’s final days do not cloud the largely positive story for Casemiro in Manchester, nor do they discourage expectations that he is merely a Bastian Schweinsteiger-type addition.
Of course there were reckless red cards and moments of madness, but they were outweighed by a series of important acts, most notably his opening goal against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final in March 2023.
He also took an acrobatic overhead kick against Bournemouth at the end of that season, and at Stamford Bridge, he fired a last-gasp header that missed the typical United target and celebrated by beating his chest in front of a noisy away end.
In the 2023-24 season, it must be said that Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first game as caretaker manager, a home goal against Leicester City, gave him a start to the next season, but it was his lowest performance.
But it’s hard to remember the 2024/25 season without his impact against Lyon that night. However, Casemiro cleverly won a penalty and helped close the gap, sending Old Trafford into a frenzy with two last-gasp assists.
Meanwhile, when it comes to this season, there are five goals worth shouting about, but the standout was the veteran’s derby performance last month, in which he comfortably won against Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.
The legs may have gone to some extent, but that winning mentality and nous is certainly still there, and such traits aren’t always easy to find in the current market.
Manchester United already have the perfect replacement for Casemiro
It was an era obsessed with youth and long-term thinking, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe publicly lamenting the idea of signing a player like Casemiro due to the size of the transfer fee and salary.
There has been talk that signing unproven players such as Elliott Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleva could cost even more, but the Premier League trio is likely to cost £100m-plus each by all accounts.
Casemiro has won the Champions League five times, but these talented young players have barely scratched the surface at the top level and INEOS and Ratcliffe will need to carefully consider whether young, fresh legs are worth such a huge investment.
Of course, United are already proud of Koby Maynou, the man who started in the Euro 2024 final ahead of Wharton, and the Englishman could potentially find a new long-term partner in Lisandro Martinez next season.
Well, the Argentine is currently second fiddle to Harry Maguire, but the Red Devils boast real depth at centre-back in Lenny Yolo, Matthijs de Ligt and Aiden Haven, so perhaps a role change could be the best solution for all parties.
Indeed, if United are looking for Casemiro’s qualities and mentality, Martinez is almost a carbon copy, with some physical limitations but with silk to match steel.
The 28-year-old World Cup winner is a master of possession, ranking in the top 10% of centre-backs for progressive pass success this season, according to DataMB.
The former Ajax man has no doubt been seen hitting the ball over the top from deep on many occasions. One memorable moment was the win at the Etihad last season when he snatched away Amad in stoppage time.
That may be due to Martinez lining up as a left-sided centre-back, but analyst Ben Mattinson says he has the tools to “become a world-class DM” and has proven that at Villa Park this season.
Martinez vs Aston Villa | |
|---|---|
status | record |
minutes | 45 |
touch | 38 |
Pass accuracy | 91% |
key pass | 1 |
carry | 16 |
loss of ownership | 4 |
tackle | 1/1 |
aerial duel | 1/1 |
ground duel | 1/3 |
Statistics by Sofascore | |
The 5ft 10in Warrior, who was placed in front of the back four in the second half of a 2-1 loss, played his new role admirably, keeping possession of the ball and moving forward while firing passes forward at will.
Even at centre-back, he regularly runs forward and has a knack for spectacular play, scoring from range in both games against Liverpool and Fulham last January.
With Maynou taking on a more advanced role, Martinez would be a good fit to anchor the midfield in Casemiro’s absence.
This summer will no doubt be dominated by talk of signing a capable midfield player, but United’s perfect solution could already be built.
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