CASEMIRO’S Manchester United career may not yet be over – because it would cost a small fortune to pay off his contract.
The Brazilian looked certain to be a high-profile summer exit after a nightmare second season at Old Trafford.
There was talk of a big-money move to Saudi Arabia, and United would have been delighted to get his £290,000-a-week wages off the books.
But although Al Nassr showed an interest, there has been no official offer, let alone getting near the £30m United want for a man who still has two years left on his contract.
For all Casemiro has been told he can go, they will not let him leave for nothing, and now the player’s representatives are set to meet Erik ten Hag over the next week.
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They want indications as to whether he features in manager Ten Hag’s plan, but even if he doesn’t, the player won’t settle for a cut-price pay-off to go.
That would leave United having to fork out up to £25m, which would take a hefty slice out of the summer budge and has increased the likelihood of the Brazilian staying.
Casemiro, 32, was a £70m buy from Real Madrid two years ago, and was a huge hit in his first season at Old Trafford.
But last term was a nightmare, and despite still making 32 starts, he lost his slot as a regular towards the end of a campaign in which he carried the can for much of the poor displays.
He only made the bench for the FA Cup final win over City, but pulled out after suffering an apparent “muscle tightness” in the warm-up.
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When Casemiro skipped United’s homecoming and flew out on a family holiday instead, his Old Trafford days looked done.
And he hoped joining the Saudi revolution would rekindle his career, after also being left out of Brazil’s Copa America squad.
But the expected dream ticket to the Middle East has failed to arrive, and now he could go into a third year at United instead.
