CASEMIRO is set to lead the most high-profile Manchester United exodus in four years – but Harry Maguire’s Old Trafford career could be prolonged.
Brazilian Casemiro is out of contract at the end of the season – with the option of an additional year – but United plan to spend big on a new midfield enforcer amid interest in .
Casemiro is set to lead an exodus of Man Utd stars next summer
Jadon Sancho is also on the chopping block when he returns from his loan
But Harry Maguire could be offered a new deal on reduced terms
United have maintained an interest in Carlos Baleba
, who turns 34 in February, is one of United’s highest earners on £300,000 a week after arriving for £70million.
However, he has struggled for domestic form since his outstanding first season in 2022-23.
While the midfielder looks like he is on his way out, United are expected to discuss the possibility of a renewal with Maguire, whose deal also expires at the end of the season.
Manager Ruben Amorim ensured that United triggered the one-year option in the centre-half’s deal in January and the club rejected summer enquiries for the 32-year-old.
Maguire, who became the most expensive defender in the world when he moved to United from Leicester for £80million in 2019, is on £190,000 a week.
United may attempt to keep Maguire, who turns 33 in March, on a reduced salary seven years on from his transfer.
, , , and all left United in 2022.
That preceded their most extravagant ever summer transfer window in Erik ten Hag’s first summer in charge, with the likes of Antony Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Jadon Sancho joining.
United are also likely to finally cut their losses on , currently on a season-long loan at , next year.
Sancho, who cost the club £73m in that 2022 summer, has not played a league match for the Red Devils in over two years and will have spent the final two-and-a-half years at the club out on loan, having also had spells at and .
CASEMIRO'S MAN UTD RECORD
Debut Aug 27, 2022 v Southampton
Games – 180
Starts – 109
% Games played – 74%
Mins played – 9,524
Ave mins per game – 73
Goals – 18
Assists – 11
Yellow cards – 31
Red cards – 4
Win rate – 55%
The 25-year-old has made two appearances for winless Villa in this campaign.
Although United have a one-year option on Sancho’s contract, his presence in the pre-season ‘bomb squad’ and underwhelming form since he returned to in 2021 make it inevitable that he will be let go.
is the only bomb squad member marooned at United after he failed to secure an exit.
Unless the 26-year-old left-back, signed for £13m, moves clubs in the winter transfer window, he will be let go in the summer.
Malacia was Ten Hag’s first signing but he went 550 DAYS without playing for United due to a knee problem that required two rounds of surgery.
He was substituted at half-time in four of his five-starts by following his return last year.
Third-choice keeper will be 40 when his contract runs out in nine months and he has already taken a coaching course.
Heaton is also open to punditry, having contributed to the BBC’s coverage of England’s European Championship qualifying thrashing of two years ago.
Man City have two No1s... United have three No2s
ONE of the biggest issues Manchester United had last season was almost every other Premier League side had a better striker, writes Samuel Luckhurst.
Now almost every other Premier League side has a better ‘keeper.
Apart from Southampton’s sinking ship, the other 18 top-flight teams possessed a more accomplished frontman than Rasmus Hojlund. Jamie Vardy was a fading force but still scored more than twice as many league goals as Hojlund, who eked only four.
Benjamin Sesko has not set the world alight and has actually had a worse start to his United career than Hojlund had after six appearances. Yet the bigger problem is up the other end.
Ruben Amorim even admitted last week that Altay Bayindir is not United’s outright number one. Bayindir, with his slick side-parting and Louis Vuitton holdall, looks confident when he arrives at a stadium. On the pitch, he is anything but and his parry late on against Chelsea quickened the heart rate of United fans as they held on for three points.
Senne Lammens, brought in from Royal Antwerp on deadline day for £18.2million, is already 23 but yet to play for Belgium and was not named among their four ‘keepers in the national team’s squad earlier this month. Antwerp were United’s original feeder club, only United never signed anyone from the Belgian side.
United noted that Lammens had one of the highest goals-prevented metrics in Europe last season, made more saves than any other goalkeeper in Europe’s top ten leagues and completed the most progressive passes for any goalkeeper under the age of 23 last season.
Antwerp’s ground holds 16,144 and Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ ended with their semi-final appearance at the 2018 World Cup. Nothing can prepare Lammens for the scrutiny he will be under when he attempts to fill the goalframe in United colours.
Joining United hastened career decline for Andre Onana, forced to flee to Trabzonspor at the age of 29. David de Gea played for a big club in a big league before he took the plunge as a 20-year-old and had an unsettled first year. Fabien Barthez, a World Cup winner, absconded to France after three haphazard years.
We do not know if Lammens is good enough for United. We know Bayindir isn’t. He has shipped 28 goals in 16 appearances and United have won eight. Five of those were in the League Cup and the Europa League.
Bayindir’s new status as a United starter has failed to convince Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella. Bayindir is still the benchwarmer for the national side.
Manchester City have two No.1s and United have three number twos. The goalkeeper is the one position in a team where competition is not required. In all probability, United will go through this entire season without ever settling on an undisputed first choice who their supporters have faith in.
A former United ‘keeper playing for a promoted side would be more dependable and experienced than their two matchday ‘keepers. Martin Dubravka only played twice for United and his season-long loan from Newcastle was terminated at the halfway point but he was a shrewd addition by Burnley.
Karl Darlow was in net for Leeds in their weekend win at Wolves and was under consideration as a loanee by United before they turned to Dubravka in the summer of 2022. Robin Roefs did not cover himself in glory for Matty Cash’s pot-shot at Sunderland but he has been recognised at Under 21 level by Holland.
From the bottom of the ladder up, the case can be made that the incumbent for every team has a superior stopper to United: Jose Sa, Alphonse Areola, Emiliano Martinez, Caoimhin Kelleher, Dubravka, Matz Sels, Bart Verburggen, Nick Pope, Jordan Pickford, Donnarumma, Bernd Leno, Roefs, Robert Sanchez, Dean Henderson, Djordje Petrovic, Guglielmo Vicario, David Raya and Alisson.
Not all of them are good enough to be a long-term United No.1 and Sanchez gifted United victory on Saturday. There is scant evidence to suggest that Bayindir is a more stable presence than any of them.
For a club with such a storied academy, it is a travesty United never gave Henderson a fair crack of the whip. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is to blame for that after he reneged on a pre-season pledge to install Henderson as No.1 in 2021.
United ended up cutting their losses on Henderson by pocketing a meagre £15m up front from Crystal Palace. He was man of the match in their unforgettable FA Cup final triumph in May and pivotal in their second Wembley success against Liverpool in the Community Shield.
Henderson has told confidants he would never return to United. If they did come calling, with the promise of a salary hike and a bigger platform to challenge Pickford for the England spot, one suspects Henderson’s head would be turned.
Though Palace are still better than United at both ends.
