Casemiro will leave Manchester United when his contract expires in the summer after the club decided not to trigger a one-year extension.
United have chosen to part ways at this point to allow time to shape their summer transfer strategy. There is an eagerness to refresh the midfield as part of a squad overhaul, the ambition being to recruit younger players for the long term.
Casemiro earns about £430,000 a week and his departure will help free up funds for signings. Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton are on United’s midfield shortlist.
Casemiro, who joined from Real Madrid in 2022 for £70m, wanted his exit announced this month to help him secure his next move. He plans to carry on playing after representing Brazil at the World Cup, and there is interest from clubs in Major League Soccer, Saudi Arabia and his homeland.
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“I will carry Manchester United with me throughout my entire life,” Casemiro, who turns 34 next month, said. “From the first day that I walked out at this beautiful stadium, I felt the passion of Old Trafford and the love that I now share with our supporters for this special club. 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; my complete focus will, as always, remain on giving my everything to help our club to succeed.”
Casemiro’s time in the Premier League coincided with a period of struggle at United but he will walk away with Carabao Cup and FA Cup winner’s medals. He got the first goal in the 2023 Carabao Cup final triumph over Newcastle and has played 146 times for United, scoring 21 times.
Chelsea are considering a move to sign another Brazil international midfielder, Douglas Luiz, on loan from Juventus for the rest of the season. He is on loan at Nottingham Forest but a switch has not been ruled out. Chelsea are challenging on four fronts and regard Douglas Luiz as capable of providing cover in midfield.
Liam Rosenior’s options include Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Reece James, Dário Essugo, Roméo Lavia and Andrey Santos. But Essugo is yet to feature because of injury this season and Lavia has not played since November. Caicedo and Fernández have shouldered much of the burden and could benefit if Chelsea are able to bring in a player of Douglas Luiz’s experience and quality.
The 27-year-old excelled for Aston Villa before joining Juve in 2024. He struggled in Italy and moved to Forest last summer. However he sustained a hamstring injury and has made only two league starts since Sean Dyche replaced Ange Postecoglou as manager. Forest have an obligation to buy if Douglas Luiz makes a certain number of appearances. They also have an option to buy.
It remains to be seen whether Juve and Forest will be open to Chelsea taking on the loan. Chelsea are also in the market for a defender but are yet to reach an agreement with Rennes on a fee for Jérémy Jacquet. Rennes want about £60m for the 20-year-old.
