Casemiro proved his doubters wrong — United must now replace him

Jamie Carragher’s meme‑baiting line — “Leave the football before the football leaves you” — hung over Casemiro for a long time, yet the Brazilian will leave Manchester United this year on his own terms, two years after those words. After the 4-0 defeat by Crystal Palace in May 2024 he looked spent, bypassed too easily in faster matches and exposed by Erik ten Hag’s high‑risk tactics.

Casemiro could have taken the easy route to the Saudi Pro League, but he adapted, adding discipline and sitting deeper to use his reading of the play, time tackles and protect more energetic midfield partners. Aerially he remained dominant in both penalty areas, and though United’s managers did not always build the midfield correctly around him, the former Real Madrid linchpin got on with his job without fuss.

Replacing him will be expensive even if shedding his significant wages offers some relief.

England, Manchester

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