Why INEOS could break the bank to seal Casemiro repeat at Man Utd

If Manchester United hope to return to the top of European football, they will need start making a few more signings in the transfer window.

The season was never won in the market, but there’s no question that Michael Carrick‘s side need fresh faces. Old Trafford needs more than just a spruce-up; there are numerous issues that need sorting out.

Still, the gains made when Carrick replaced a beleaguered Ruben Amorim in January have been significant. The Red Devils are Champions League competitors once again.

Many things came together, but Casemiro’s resurgence might just have proved the difference-maker in what turned out to be a fantastic season.

How Casemiro turned things around at Man Utd

Casemiro outdid himself in playing an instrumental part in Manchester United’s resurgence last season, proving the many doubters wrong.

After one dour patch of form at the end of December 2024, Casemiro was benched for five successive games in what looked to be the end of his career in the Premier League. He resurrected himself.

The 34-year-old has surpassed expectations over the past year. A physical defensive midfielder, he also popped up with any number of big goals for the Red Devils, scoring nine goals from 34 Premier League matches. He also won 2.6 tackles and 5.5 duels per match, leaving Old Trafford chanting in unison, ‘one more year, one more year’, when the end was nigh.

It goes to show, class is permanent. United paid £70m to bring the Brazil international over from Real Madrid after years of claiming titles in the Spanish capital.

In the end, Casemiro’s world-class experience prevailed. He has left Old Trafford with cult status intact, adored by the masses in Manchester.

United had to cough up a pretty penny to bring him over from the Santiago Bernabeu, but it was worth it in the end. Now that INEOS are creating a more stable outfit, they appear ready to try and repeat the trick.

Man Utd frontrunners to complete Casemiro repeat

Casemiro is no longer a Man United player, and while the efforts for midfielders continue in the INEOS offices, Carrick could have his sights set on an attacking addition as his side’s next port of call.

Well, he might not fix Man United’s midfield problems, but Vinicius Junior could step into the Theatre of Dreams as another Casemiro-esque signing for Carrick’s side.

That’s according to reports in Spain, who suggested that Man United are the only club capable of pulling off the financial package needed to sign Vini Jr. this summer, thus establishing them as frontrunners.

Real Madrid’s superstar attacker has been in talks with a number of Premier League clubs as he enters the final year of his contract, and while Los Blancos don’t want to cash in, they would reluctantly do business should their £77m valuation be met. His £500k-per-week salary demands have strained further tensions at Madrid.

The Brazil international is one of the very best in the business. Having scored more than 20 goals in each of Real Madrid’s past five seasons, he is one of the most prolific attackers in the world, with big-game aura for the ages, always rising to the occasion on the biggest stages, meeting fire with fire.

The Selecao superstar is “one of the best wingers in the world currently“, according to new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho. He certainly showed that at the World Cup, something of a bright spark for a rather average Brazil team.

As with Casemiro four years ago, United would be signing a Real Madrid superstar sat in the prime of their career, but there is a different feel about Carrick’s team now, and Vinicius Jr. could actually make the difference in fighting for Champions League football or challenging for the biggest titles on offer.

He knows adversity, and he also knows how to star for one of the world’s greatest title-winning outfits. Man United would be onto a winner.

You’d hope so, in fairness. INEOS would have to break their wage structure, but for such a one-of-a-kind forward, it might just be worth the hassle.