Casemiro will be looking for a new club for the 2026/27 season (Image: Getty Images)
It’s been a few weeks since Manchester United announced that Casemiro would leave the club at the end of the season, but there are no signs that things will change. His contract expires in the summer and he is expected to be allowed to leave on a free transfer, with several clubs showing interest.
Nevertheless, there have been important developments in what will happen before then. United inserted a clause allowing Casemiro to play all remaining games without triggering an automatic contract extension. If he had started 35 games and not agreed to this clause, the former Real Madrid midfielder would have automatically been granted another year.
Casemiro has been based in Europe since joining Real Madrid from Sao Paulo in 2013, but his next destination could well be on another continent. Let’s take a look at some of the possibilities available to him here…
inter miami
The end of the 2025 season marked a period of change for Inter Miami. Although they won their first MLS Cup, they said goodbye to two veteran players with the retirements of Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
They have already secured Sergio Reguilon to replace Alba, with the deal confirmed before the new year.
But they could also benefit from a fresh central midfielder to fill Busquets’ hole, and it’s perhaps no surprise that ESPN identifies them as one of three clubs pursuing Casemiro.
Nevertheless, the issue is complicated by the Designated Player (DP) rule, which only allows clubs to have three players outside the salary cap.
Miami have already signed Lionel Messi, Rodrygo De Paul and new signing German Belterrame, and The Athletic insists Casemiro will likely have to accept a significant pay cut if he wants to join.
The veteran midfielder will be very interested in the summer season. (Image: Getty)
LA Galaxy
In Los Angeles, David Beckham’s old club could take advantage of their difficult predicament to land Casemiro.
They also occupy three DP spots, but one of them, former Barcelona star Riqui Puig, will miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing knee surgery.
There is already a significant Brazilian presence at the club. Former Vasco da Gama star Gabriel Peck scored 16 goals and provided 14 assists in his debut season, earning him a spot in the MLS All-Star team, while new striker Joao Kraus has scored five goals in as many games since joining from St. Louis.
If they can secure an experienced player like Casemiro, along with fellow high-profile Marco Reus, they may be able to turn their fortunes around.
Al Ittihad
A move to Saudi Arabia had been discussed before, but which club it would be for was an entirely different matter. However, Al-Ittihad is now seen as the frontrunner.
The Jeddah side, who have also been linked with Mohamed Salah, could lose central midfielder Fabinho when his contract expires in the summer.
Even if former Liverpool star Fabinho eventually agrees new terms, they will be in need of reinforcements after N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema left midway through the season.
Al Ittihad currently sit sixth in the Saudi Professional League and seem destined to fall short of qualifying for the AFC Champions League elite, despite already having qualified for this season’s knockout stages.
A long-term, multi-year deal for their next high-profile acquisition could be the foundation they need to return to being among the elite.
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