There has been no comfort at home for Manchester United of late and Tuesday’s draw with bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers was the fourth time the Red Devils have failed to win at home in their last five games at Old Trafford.
In the absence of the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Amorim’s side lacked creativity and sparkle, and it took a lucky change of direction from Joshua Zirkzee to finally push the hosts in front.
Having been tied up before the break, there was no second-half excitement like in the win at Molineux a while ago, and it was emblematic of a desperate night for United as the aging Casemiro was caught out in the closing stages after continuing to handle the ball inside Wolves’ half.
A collective groan echoed through the Theater of Dreams when the 33-year-old midfielder failed to slip past Brazilian teammate Matheus Cunha and had his pocket picked.
The truth is that the combination of the £70 million man and Manuel Ugarte just didn’t work for Rob Edwards’ brave outfit and a new midfielder was needed when next month’s window opens.
Manchester United have already talked about signing a midfield player.
After the summer, when United approached Brighton’s Carlos Baleva about a possible deal, rumors are also rife that INEOS could look at Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson in 2026 following a few months of progress for the England international.
problem? Neither of these two rivals in the Premier League are going to sell cheap with a reported price tag of over £100m, and it is far more likely that some sort of deal will have to take place over the summer instead.
Indeed, having spent more than £200m last time around, United need to be realistic about what they can and cannot do in next month’s market and will need more affordable short-term deals in January.
The club themselves appear to be aware of this, with journalist Ben Jacobs revealing that INEOS have already made a call to Al Hilal star Ruben Neves about a possible move.
The interest is not thought to have gone any further, but the contact comes as the Portuguese player’s contract is expiring, ensuring he could be snapped up for a knockdown price in the winter.
Previous reports suggested the former Wolves man could be available for at least £20m.
Why signing Neves could spell the end for Casemiro
Even ignoring his big pay and £350,000-a-week wage, Casemiro has been a solid servant for United in recent years, scoring 21 goals in total since joining in 2022, four of which have come this season.
However, with his contract expiring in January, the Brazil captain is reaching the climax of his journey at Old Trafford and Tuesday’s match once again highlighted his physical shortcomings.
According to Sofascore, the experienced warrior has completed 1.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season.
For comparison, Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo recorded just 0.5 and 0.7 dribbles per game respectively in the 2025/26 season.
Perhaps Casemiro is simply exposed to Amorim’s tactical setup, but in any case a suitable replacement needs to be found. Neves may be just that.
The 28-year-old, recently hailed as “the most underrated player in world football” by analyst Raj Chohan, has proven Premier League experience, having made 177 Premier League appearances during his time at Molineux, contributing 30 goals in that time.
Although not prolific, the former Porto captain has a knack for regularly seeing spectacular shots from range during his time with the Old Gold.
Of course, there may be some concerns over the fact that he has been plying his trade in Saudi Arabia for the past two years, although he has scored 39 goals and provided assists in 108 games while remaining in the national team.
Neves vs Casemiro – 25/26 League Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (*per game) | Neves | Casemiro |
game | 10 | 17 |
the goal | 4 | 4 |
assist | 0 | 1 |
A big opportunity has arisen | 3 | 1 |
key pass | 1.5 | 0.6 |
Pass accuracy | 91% | 82% |
Total number of duels won | 58% | 52% |
dribbled past | 0.9 | 1.1 |
Statistics by Sofascore | ||
The 63-capped Portuguese star was still in the mix with the Premier League’s best in his final season in the Midlands, but FBref pointed out that the two midfielders in the region who were statistically most similar to him at the time were the aforementioned Rais and Caicedo.
He was in good company at the time and there is a good chance that upon his return to England he could emerge as a key, if not underrated, figure in Amorim’s midfield unit, and such a deal could put the final nail in the coffin for Casemiro staying at Old Trafford.
Although experienced, Neves is still in his prime and is the immediate successor to the South American player that United desperately need.
Amorim should not let the £470,000-a-year Manchester United duo start together again after the Wolves game
Manchester United ended 2025 with their usual lackluster performance at Old Trafford.
