Manchester United midfielder Casemiro was a key part of Michael Carrick’s midfield during his final season at Old Trafford.
Casemiro will leave Manchester United this summer (Image: Matt West/Shutterstock)
Manchester United have officially avoided extending Casemiro’s contract after the midfielder missed Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland due to injury. The Brazilian is understood to have included a clause in his contract that would extend his contract for another year on a weekly wage of £375,000 if he started 35 Premier League games this season.
The 34-year-old reached an agreement in January to waive this clause in negotiations to formalize his departure from United this summer. Both parties have agreed that it will not be activated even if it hits the target.
Either way, it seemed unlikely at the time, as Casemiro would have needed to start each of the final 21 Premier League games of the season to reach his target of 35 games. This was due to him missing the trip to Aston Villa in December due to suspension.
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Such a scenario seemed more likely since Michael Carrick was appointed interim head coach. The former Real Madrid player has been a key figure since Carrick arrived in January, starting regularly.
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However, the Brazil international will not be able to play at the Stadium of Light this weekend due to a minor injury, meaning the possibility of his extension clause being triggered is officially over.
The Red Devils are confident Casemiro will be available for next Sunday’s match between Old Trafford and Nottingham Forest. United face Brighton & Hove Albion in their final game of the season a week later.
Casemiro has had a revelation under manager Michael Carrick (Image: Oli SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
While Casemiro’s future looks almost certain to be away from the M16, questions remain over whether Carrick will be given a permanent role at United.
The former Reds midfielder had a transformative influence as he guided his former club to the Champions League. He has not appeared in the Champions League since 2023. And Casemiro feels Carrick deserves the chance to become United’s permanent manager.
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“The club has a big problem in that, right? Because we know he came in as interim manager and came in and had a great performance and played some difficult games,” he said in an interview with ESPN last week.
“He’s done very well, he’s done very well, he’s a guy who knows the club, he knows what Manchester United is about. He’s got class, he’s got a Manchester United attitude, he’s a great person and he deserves it and he deserves to stay.”
“In my opinion, he’s a man who deserves it. When you know him day-to-day, you already think, ‘This guy deserves it.’ He has class, he lives and breathes the club, he knows what the club is about.
“So, for me, this guy should stay at the club for many more years, because he deserves it, he really deserves the job.”
