Casemiro represents mistakes of the past for Manchester United

Casemiro is a five-time Champions League winner and has three La Liga titles to his name. In his prime, he was one of the most talented midfielders in the world. As such, it made sense when Manchester United splashed £70 million to bring him to Old Trafford in 2022. Casemiro was 30 years old when he made the jump to the Premier League; he is still firmly in his prime. 

Unfortunately, a strong debut season for the Red Devils was followed by an injury-ravaged 2023-24 season. When he was available for selection, Casemiro struggled to keep pace throughout the game, consistently looking off the boil. Despite his struggles, the veteran midfielder continued to draw interest from teams in the Saudi Pro League. 

United is reportedly open to parting ways with Casemiro this summer. His £350K salary is certainly playing a part in the team's willingness to let him go. However, according to Sky Sports, interest from Saudi teams has "cooled off" in recent weeks.

"As it stands, Casemiro is likely to stay with interest from Saudi cooling of late," Sky Sports reported. "A departure later in the window cannot be ruled out."

Casemiro represents a recruitment system that has failed United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. The club has consistently thrown money at big names with little regard to their fit within the manager's system or the club's overall philosophy. 

The change in strategy since INEOS took over is strikingly clear. This summer, United has already signed Leny Yoro and Jonathan Zirkzee, both young talents with mountains of potential. More importantly, both deals were wrapped up early in the summer, allowing Erik ten Hag to integrate them into his preseason plans. 

Casemiro is still an elite talent. Even entering his age-32 season, he's capable of impacting games at the highest level. However, United is moving in a different direction. It's signing young and exciting talent and building around the young core of Rasmus Hojlund, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho. 

If a fair offer comes in for Casemiro this summer, United will likely entertain it. Not because he isn't good enough, but because it would remove his significant salary from their outgoings. Of course, it would also represent a shift in approach — one that INEOS has already begun. Still, a major statement such as selling Casemiro would announce a change in direction on a global scale, and for United to be taken seriously once again, that type of statement has to happen.