Club Could Use 'Loophole' To Sign Casemiro From Man Utd in Surprise Deal

One of the clubs interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Casemiro could use a league-specific 'loophole' to complete a move this summer.

Casemiro announced last month that he would be leaving United at the end of his contract in June.

The Brazil midfielder wrote on Twitter: "Knowing when stages come to an end. Knowing when to say goodbye when you feel that you will be remembered and respected forever.

"Four months to give my all for this badge and for our goal.

"Eternal respect and affection for Manchester United and its wonderful fans. Forever Red Devil."

Since his announcement, the 33-year-old has started all three of United's consecutive wins under new manager Michael Carrick, producing a player of the match display in Sunday's 3-2 win over Fulham.

Casemiro produced a no-look assist for Matheus Cunha's goal to put United 2-0 up in the first half, having already scored himself on 19 minutes.

There had been question marks over his ability to still perform at the highest levels prior to this season, most notably from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, but the Brazilian has refound his form this campaign and will no doubt have his pick of clubs to choose from this summer.

The five-time Champions League winner has been linked with a move to Los Angeles Galaxy, in a deal that would likely see the end of his career in Europe.

That's according to the Daily Mail, who claim that Galaxy are 'exploring ways of signing him under the designated player rule in MLS'.

Each MLS club has a specific salary cap that they must adhere to, but the designated player rule allows each club to sign up to three players that would fall outside of that cap, whether that be through wages or transfer fee.

The rule was brought in after David Beckham's infamous 2007 move from Real Madrid to LA Galaxy, which significantly enhanced the profile of football in the United States.

Galaxy currently have three designated players on their books - Ghana midfielder Joseph Paintsil, Brazilian forward Gabriel Pec, and Spain and ex-Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig.

Pec is on a five-year Young Designated Player contract, while Paintsil still has two years left on the contract he signed to move from Genk in 2024.

Puig, meanwhile, has endured an injury nightmare in recent years, having suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury towards the end of 2024.

The Spaniard missed the entirety of the 2025 season, and underwent further reconstructive knee surgery in January that will see him miss the entirety of 2026 as well.

Galaxy can place Puig on a season-ending injury list, which would remove his status as a Designated Player for the length of his injury absence and allow them to fill the slot with another player.

However, placing him on the injury list would mean he would be barred from playing in 2026, even if he returned from injury in time to play a part in the closing weeks of the season.