Manchester United have reportedly lined up two surprise central midfielders to replace Casemiro once the Brazilian leaves Old Trafford this summer.
Casemiro, who joined United from Real Madrid for a reported £70 million fee in 2022, confirmed that he will be leaving the club upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Brazilian has had his critics during his time at the club, but has still played an important role in United’s midfield over the past four seasons.
The 33-year-old will leave United having helped the side win two trophies – the 2023 Carabao Cup and 2024 FA Cup.
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But who will replace him in the heart of midfield?
As reported by the Mail, Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson is a priority target but may be valued in excess of £100 million by the East Midlands side.
The 23-year-old, who arrived at the City Ground from Newcastle in June 2024, has impressed since joining Forest, with Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel among his admirers.
Anderson is contracted to Forest until June 2029.
Meanwhile, Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba is also of interest to United, having also been linked with a late move during the summer of 2025.
Baleba is contracted to the Seagulls until June of 2028 and is expected to be worth around £70 million – significantly less than Anderson.
The 22-year-old Cameroonian would arguably be a like-for-like replacement for Casemiro, while Anderson offers more technical ability on the ball.
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton also continues to be linked with a move after Marc Guehi joined Manchester City, while head coach Oliver Glasner has confirmed his intention to leave Selhurst Park at the end of the season.
Wharton is also attracting interest from Liverpool, and like Anderson, would likely be worth around £100 million.
All three of the aforementioned players boast Premier League experience, but are any lesser-known players on United’s radar?
The answer to that question is yes, with the Mail suggesting that two youngsters are attracting United’s interest.
Eighteen-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and 19-year-old Olympiacos prospect Christos Mouzakitis are two of the starlets who could potentially join United this summer, but whether they’d be direct replacements for Casemiro remains unclear.
France youth international Bouaddi has already played 77 times for Lille and is valued at around £52 million by the French club.
Mouzakitis, who has earned seven senior caps for Greece, is valued at around £25 million according to Italian outlet Tutto Mercato. The 19-year-old has already made 60 senior appearances for the Athens club.
Topics: Manchester United, Casemiro, Transfer News, Football, Premier League
Luke Davies