‘Most Likely’—Illustrious Man Utd Star Tipped to Make MLS Switch

Casemiro’s “most likely” destination next season is reported to be in Major League Soccer as he hurtles towards the conclusion of his stay at Manchester United.

The five-time Champions League winner is approaching the final six months of his United contract. Signed at the extravagant sum of £70 million ($94 million) back in the summer of 2022, Casemiro has endured and enjoyed an Old Trafford career of highs and lows.

After a bright start to life in the Premier League, Casemiro became clouded in a dense red mist, infamously collecting two red cards in the space of three top-flight appearances during his first season. Injury forced the Brazil international to sit out half of his second campaign while the muddled structure of United’s midfield during the final months of Erik ten Hag’s reign left Casemiro constantly exposed.

Ruben Amorim was initially wary of the former Real Madrid icon. For the first time in a decade, Casemiro had been robbed of his status as a guaranteed starter. However, the midfield battler won over the incoming head coach, figuring heavily as United reached the Europa League final. Only suspension has prevented Casemiro from starting every Premier League game this season.

Nevertheless, Casemiro’s age and rapidly expiring contract are both factors of consideration for United. As his teammate Bruno Fernandes recently huffed: “In England, when a player starts to approach 30, they start to think they need to remodel. It’s like the furniture.”

The Daily Mail claim that there has been “little interest” from United over triggering the one-year extension baked into Casemiro’s lucrative contract, which is said to be worth a club-high £375,000 per week. Talk of a new deal with a lower salary has been floated, but the report bills a switch to MLS as a concrete possibility.

Lionel Messi’s success at Inter Miami has inspired a second wave of stars from European football to decamp to the United States at the end of their careers. Thomas Müller is thriving at Vancouver Whitecaps while Son Heung-min has quickly established a cult following at LAFC. Even Mohamed Salah was linked with a move to MLS during his brief standoff with Liverpool.

It remains to be seen whether Casemiro is ready to depart the European stage—he is enjoying an excellent individual campaign despite approaching his 34th birthday in February—but he would not be the only United midfielder to leave Old Trafford in 2026.

Casemiro Part of Man Utd Midfield Exodus

Casemiro (left) and Bruno Fernandes. — Casemiro (left) could be joined out of the door by Bruno Fernandes. | James Gill-Danehouse/Getty Images

Fernandes, Casemiro’s midfield partner, has cast his Manchester United future into disarray with a number of explosive statements recently. The club captain’s recent declaration that he would be open to a move to La Liga or Serie A has been emboldened by reports that his current contract contains a release clause worth £56.6 million, which can be activated by clubs outside the Premier League.

Kobbie Mainoo’s future continues to be mired in uncertainty while fellow midfielder Manuel Ugarte has emerged as another potential departee. The Daily Mail cite “significant interest” from Türkiye for a player who has emphatically failed to recapture the form he showed under Amorim at Sporting CP.