Manchester United confident of signing new Casemiro, expects formal bid

Two years ago, it felt like the end was near for Casemiro at Manchester United. He continued on for extra time as a makeshift centre-back, culminating in a spell of extra time. that Evening for elderly Brazilians at Selhurst Park.

A move to Saudi Arabia was expected to be the most likely outcome for the former Real Madrid hero following his late withdrawal from United’s FA Cup final squad in favor of Sofian Amrabat.

Yet the man who was once behind Toby Collier in the midfield pecking order did not just sink, fighting once again to secure cult status after an excellent final season under manager Michael Carrick.

The 34-year-old may have been drifting towards the realm of responsibility at one stage, but now amid news of the Red Devils’ midfield search, concerns are growing over how his influence will be replicated.

Manchester United are expected to make a permanent move to sign big-money midfielder

Casemiro’s Brazilian colleague Ederson has confirmed a move to Old Trafford is almost complete, with the 26-year-old set to join from Serie A side Atalanta in a £34m deal.

This is expected to be the first of three potential additions to the midfield, especially as Manuel Ugarte’s future remains uncertain, with the unlucky Uruguayan having been the subject of interest from Galatasaray in January.

INEOS had hoped to make England international Elliott Anderson their centerpiece, but with the £120m player still attached to Manchester City, they have had to shift their priorities elsewhere.

West Ham United’s Matheus Fernandes has now emerged as a likely target, with TEAMtalk reporting that the Red Devils are said to be making a “formal approach” in the near future.

Despite Tottenham Hotspur holding their own negotiations over personal terms, Old Trafford are said to have confidence United still lead the race for the 21-year-old.

It is believed that Fernandes wants to move to Manchester, especially with the possibility of a Champions League spot in mind, and United believe that an agreement on wages, contract length and bonus is expected to be satisfactory, with some suggesting that an agreement has already been reached.

One problem is that West Ham are stuck with a price tag of over £80 million, and Spurs are now more likely to match that valuation than INEOS.

Why Manchester United are preparing to sign a new Casemiro deal

Casemiro was signed from Madrid as a defensive midfield warrior, but what has really stood out over the past four years has been his impact in attack.

The 34-year-old, who has largely been in the shadow of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, recently revealed to Rio Ferdinand that he felt United needed him to emerge as more of a “main player” at Old Trafford, rather than just operating as a deep-rooted number six.

Recent Red Devils teams have been dissected through the midfield, which may have caused problems at times, but it’s hard to argue that Casemiro has scored nine goals in the Premier League in 2025/26 and has been particularly frequent this year.

Fernandes is still in the early stages of his career and may not have as much pedigree or stature, but he too could be a more all-action and impactful addition to the midfield than a typical No. 6 or No. 8.

Indeed, the former Southampton man made his mark on a struggling West Ham side last season with seven league goals and an assist, but it was a particularly solid return considering he lined up as part of a midfield double rather than operating in a more advanced role.

There is an inquisitive, progressive quality to Casemiro’s game, which he also showed in a United shirt, with the South American memorably playing a delightful no-look pass into Matheus Cunha’s goal against Fulham earlier this year.

In total, the departed No. 18 created four ‘big chances’ and averaged an impressive 1.1 key passes per game, not that different from Fernandes himself who created three ‘big chances’ and created one key pass per game.

There’s also a lot to like about what the £80 million man can offer defensively, averaging 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game, a testament to his ability to win the ball and cover the ground effectively.

For comparison, this is not far from the brilliance of Casemiro’s first season in 2022/23. Casemiro, who joined for £70 million, averaged 4.4 tackles and an interception that year in an impressive debut season in Manchester.

Perhaps one area of ​​concern is his ability to pass Fernandes in midfield, as has been the case with Casemiro this season. The pair topped the top league with 1.1 and 1.6 dribbles per game, respectively.

But with the introduction of a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 likely to provide much greater security than was enjoyed under the previous Reuben Amorim regime, there is no one better suited to tackle this issue than Mr Carrick.

Interestingly, it was actually Amorim who approved the sale of Fernandes from Sporting CP to Southampton in 2024, but it could be the young Portuguese player who is now proving long-term success at the Theater of Dreams.

Watch this space.