Manchester United have confirmed that Casemiro will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, drawing the curtain on a hugely expensive and ultimately divisive spell for the Brazilian.
The 33-year-old arrived from Real Madrid in 2022 for a whopping £70million and went on to make 146 appearances in red. For a time, it looked money well spent. Casemiro thundered home the opener in the 2023 Carabao Cup final against Newcastle and was a key figure as United finished third in the Premier League during his debut campaign.
But the mood has since shifted dramatically.
Under the new regime led by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the club have taken a hard line on bloated contracts and Casemiro’s eye-watering £375,000-a-week wages were never likely to survive the chop. Ratcliffe had previously pointedly remarked that some United players were “not good enough” and “overpaid”, with Casemiro widely understood to be one of the examples.
United have now opted not to activate the extra year in his deal, a decision insiders say was made long before Thursday’s announcement.
Casemiro, for his part, struck a defiant and emotional note.
“I will carry Manchester United with me throughout my entire life,” he said. “It is not time to say goodbye; there are many more memories to create during the next four months. We still have a lot to fight for together.”
Why United pulled the plug
Casemiro’s arrival came only after Erik ten Hag’s first-choice midfield targets slipped through United’s fingers. Missed moves for Frenkie de Jong and Declan Rice left Erik ten Hag desperate for experience after humiliating early-season defeats by Brighton and Brentford.
United duly paid top dollar — and top wages — to land the former Madrid enforcer on a four-year deal. Initially, it worked. His authority and know-how helped steady the ship.
Then came the drop-off.
By his second season, Casemiro’s legs looked heavy, his form evaporated and the fee began to look extortionate. After a chastening 4-0 loss at Crystal Palace in May 2024, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher delivered his now-infamous verdict: “Leave football before football leaves you.”
Omitted from Ten Hag’s FA Cup final starting XI soon after, Casemiro even chose not to be involved at Wembley a moment many felt signalled the end.
Yet his mammoth salary ensured no easy exit, and to his credit, the Brazilian fought his way back into contention, becoming a dressing-room example of professionalism and graft.
Still, sentiment doesn’t pay the bills at Old Trafford anymore.
With Ratcliffe determined to slash costs and reshape a squad long accused of excess and indulgence, Casemiro’s departure is both symbolic and strategic. For United, it brings financial flexibility. For Casemiro, it closes a turbulent but memorable chapter one that began with silverware and ends with a cold, calculated goodbye.