Man Utd confident of signing the new Casemiro with official bid expected

It felt like the end was nigh for Casemiro at Manchester United two years ago, with an extended run as a makeshift centre-back culminating in that night at Selhurst Park for the ageing Brazilian.

Subsequently a late withdrawal from United’s FA Cup final squad, having seemingly been benched anyway in favour of Sofyan Amrabat, the expectation was that a Saudi switch would be the most likely outcome for the former Real Madrid hero.

And yet, the man once behind Toby Collyer in the midfield pecking order didn’t simply sink, fighting his way back to secure cult status following a stellar final season under Michael Carrick‘s watch.

The 34-year-old might have been drifting toward liability territory at one stage, yet now there are growing concerns over just how his influence will be replicated, as news rumbles on regarding the Red Devils’ midfield search.

Man Utd expected to launch official bid for big-money midfielder

Casemiro’s Brazil colleague, Ederson, has confirmed that his move to Old Trafford is all-but done, the 26-year-old set to join from Serie A side Atalanta on a £34m deal.

That is expected to be the first of potentially three midfield arrivals, particularly with Manuel Ugarte’s future still uncertain, the hapless Uruguayan previously the subject of interest from Galatasaray back in January.

INEOS had hoped to make England’s Elliot Anderson their marquee capture, although the £120m man is Manchester City-bound by all accounts, ensuring the priority has had to shift elsewhere.

The man now emerging as the leading target is West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes, with TEAMtalk reporting that the Red Devils are said to launch an ‘official approach’ in the near future.

There is said to be a confidence at Old Trafford that United are still leading the race for the 21-year-old’s signature, even with Tottenham Hotspur holding talks over their own regarding personal terms.

From United’s perspective, the belief is that Fernandes prefers a move to Manchester, not least due to the prospect of Champions League football, ensuring that an ‘agreement over wages, length of contract and signing-on fee are not expected to be problematic’, with there a feeling that they may ‘already have reached an understanding’.

One sticking point is West Ham’s persistence regarding an £80m plus price tag, with Spurs more likely to match that valuation than INEOS are at present.

Why Man Utd could be set to sign another Casemiro in the making

Signed as a defensive midfield warrior from Madrid, it was actually Casemiro’s attacking influence that particularly stood out over the past four years.

Largely in the shadow of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, the 34-year-old revealed to Rio Ferdinand recently that he felt United needed him to emerge as more of a “protagonist” at Old Trafford, rather than operating as a mere deep-lying number six.

That might have caused an issue at times, with recent Red Devils sides cut open in midfield, although it’s difficult to argue with Casemiro’s 2025/26 haul of nine Premier League goals, having so often delivered the goods this calendar year, in particular.

Fernandes, very much in the early stages of his career, might not have that same pedigree and stature, but he too could be a more all-action, influential midfield addition than the usual number six or number eight.

Indeed, the former Southampton man did end last season with seven goals and assists to his name in the league for a struggling West Ham side, a particularly solid return considering he lined up as part of a midfield two, rather than operating in a more advanced role.

There’s a probing, progressive quality to his game that Casemiro also showcased in a United shirt, the South American memorably producing a delightful no-look pass to tee up Matheus Cunha against Fulham earlier this year.

In all, the departing number 18 created four ‘big chances’ and averaged an impressive 1.1 key passes per game, not too dissimilar to Fernandes’ own return of three ‘big chances’ created and one key pass per game.

There’s also plenty to like about what the £80m man can offer defensively too, having averaged 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game, a sign of his ball-winning prowess and ability to cover ground so effectively.

For comparison, that’s not too far off Casemiro’s first season pomp in 2022/23, the £70m arrival having averaged 4.4 tackles and interceptions that year, amid a fine debut campaign in Manchester.

Perhaps one area of concern would be the ability to get past Fernandes in midfield, as was the case with Casemiro this season, with the pair dribbled past 1.1 and 1.6 times per game, respectively, in the top-flight.

Who better to try and work on that with than Carrick, however, with the deployment of a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 likely to offer far more security than was enjoyed under the previous Ruben Amorim regime.

Interestingly enough, it was actually Amorim who sanctioned Fernandes’ sale from Sporting CP to Southampton back in 2024, although it could now be the young Portuguese who proves a long-term success at the Theatre of Dreams.

Watch this space.