Manchester United could soon be searching for a replacement for their biggest earner, Casemiro.
The central midfielder on £350,000 a week, which works out at more than £18m per season, has been linked with an Old Trafford exit over the last 12 months.
He remains a Red Devils player for now, but with Ruben Amorim, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS seemingly looking at youth and planning for the future, Casemiro’s days at Man Utd could be numbered.
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Still sneaking into an underperforming Manchester United side for the drab goalless draw against Man City at the weekend, a refresh of the United midfield is surely just around the corner.
With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at 10 midfielders Man Utd could target to replace Casemiro.
1 Ederson Atalanta
Heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford over the last six months has been Ederson of Atalanta.
United have reportedly held internal talks over a move for the Brazilian, who has been labelled as a ‘well-built central midfielder’. The Red Devils aren’t the only club keen, though, so may need to act fast.
2 Frenkie de Jong Barcelona
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A transfer was mooted last summer with De Jong seen as a potential long-term upgrade on Casemiro. He has continued to impress with the Catalan giants, so it wouldn’t be a shock if Man Utd returned.
3 Aurelien Tchouameni Real Madrid
An ambitious target would be Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni, though his name has been mentioned in the media as a Man Utd target in 2025.
Dubbed ‘one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet’, Tchouameni would surely cost as much as Casemiro did, maybe even more, if United are to bring the Frenchman to Manchester, but at 25, they should get far more out of him if a move worked out.
4 Hugo Larsson Eintracht Frankfurt
Reports earlier this year suggested that Man Utd are ready to spend to sign Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson this summer.
Valued at around £50m, Larsson is just 20 years of age, but has been making great strides in Germany since joining Frankfurt in 2023. Also a full Sweden international, Larsson is valued at a career-high €35m (£29.8m) by Transfermarkt – a figure which may only increase in the coming years.
5 Morten Hjulmand Sporting CP
When Manuel Ugarte moved to PSG from Sporting CP, Morten Hjulmand was signed as his replacement in midfield and has been starring in Portugal ever since.
Amorim therefore knows the Denmark international very well and Man Utd were reportedly in pole position to sign Hjulmand at the end of 2024, so he could be another target.
6 Adam Wharton Crystal Palace
One of the brightest English midfielders around at the moment is Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace.
At the age of 21, Wharton is a Premier League regular for the Eagles and a full England international who has been to a major tournament. INEOS appears to be targeting young stars at Old Trafford, and a £60m+ move to Man Utd for Wharton has been rumoured recently.
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ByBarney LaneFeb 26, 2025 7 Joao Gomes Wolves
Another Premier League option for Man Utd to replace Casemiro could lead them to Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes.
The Brazilian has been a regular at Molineux in recent years and was reportedly wanted at Old Trafford before Ugarte arrived. United are still keen on Gomes, so we may see the two alongside each other for the Red Devils, should they get their way.
8 Leon Goretzka Bayern Munich
A high-profile option with plenty of experience at the highest level is Leon Goretzka of Bayern Munich.
The German has won 11 major honours at the Allianz Arena, including the Champions League, and Man Utd have been linked with a move over the last six months. However, Goretzka’s huge £215,000-a-week wage could be a problem.
9 Exequiel Palacios Bayer Leverkusen
A World Cup winner with Argentina and a Bundesliga champion with Bayer Leverkusen, Exequiel Palacios could be a shrewd addition at the right price for the Red Devils.
At 26 years of age, you could argue that Palacios is in his prime and still has plenty of high-level years ahead of him. After learning under one of the best midfielders in Xabi Alonso, Man Utd may be wise to revisit their 2024 interest.
10 Christian Ordonez Velez Sarsfield
With INEOS looking at the future, they may look at replacing someone like Casemiro with a promising youngster such as Christian Ordonez.
He’s previously been mooted as a Casemiro replacement at Old Trafford in a deal worth just over £8m. The 20-year-old has even been dubbed ‘one of the strongest’ in Argentina, so Man Utd could land a future star in Ordonez.
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