Casemiro’s stint at Manchester United has been a strange one. He has played in 121 matches for the Red Devils in three seasons, which is a fair amount of games to judge a player’s impact on a team.
He has been a champion player for Real Madrid in the past, having won five UEFA Champions Leagues and three Premier League titles with them.
He has not been nearly as fortunate or as good for United and has only an FA Cup and an EFL Cup to show.
He could very well add a Europa League title to his collection, as Manchester United have reached the final of the tournament by beating Athletic Club 3-0 in the second leg of the semifinal on Thursday, May 1.
Casemiro himself scored the opening goal of the match to take his season’s tally to four.
Casemiro Has Been Brilliant at Times for Manchester United
The 33-year-old Brazilian was one of United’s best players in his first season for them in 2022/23.
However, his form then dipped alarmingly and he was responsible for a few defeats the Red Devils suffered.
He lost his place in the starting XI to Kobbie Mainoo, as the latter made rapid strides in the 2023/24 season.
With Manuel Ugarte’s signing at the start of the current season, Casemiro started to warm the bench consistently for the 20-time English champions.
It started becoming obvious that Casemiro had lost a lot of pace and could not be trusted to shepherd the defence on his own any longer.
However, as the season progressed the graph of his performance started going up gradually and he started making key contributions to his team.
Despite losing a yard or two in terms of pace, Casemiro remains a potent attacking threat, especially from set-pieces.
He keeps darting forward to score goals from set-pieces at times and has scored 16 times for United already.
Ruben Amorim’s team is not particularly stacked with world-class players in general, but the Brazilian definitely was one in his heydays at Real Madrid.
He has proved in recent times that he is still good enough to play his trade at the highest level.
If he can perform well in the latter stages of a European competition, he can still be good enough to be a squad player at least for Manchester United.
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Contract Situation
Casemiro’s contract with Manchester United expires in 2026, and he should stay at United until then.
Even considering the fact that much younger players like Ugarte and Mainoo are there, United are likely to benefit from the Brazilian’s leadership and experience on the pitch.
United have had a forgettable Premier League campaign this season, but can still get something out of it by winning the Europa League.
Casemiro has played his part in it and will be eager to help his team win another trophy.
His playing days at Manchester United might not have gone anywhere near his ones at Real Madrid, but he is still proving his worth in some way.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Maciej Rogowski
Recording Date: 01.05.2025