Casemiro’s Contract Situation and Future at Manchester United

Brazilian international Casemiro has been a pivotal player for Manchester United under manager Ruben Amorim this season.

He has consistently started whenever available, featuring in 18 Premier League matches so far and only appearing as a substitute once, during the 3-0 defeat against Manchester City in September. Additionally, he has served two one-match suspensions in the Premier League, and he did not start in any of United’s cup matches, as they were eliminated early in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup by Brighton & Hove Albion and Grimsby Town, respectively.

Due to Manchester United’s absence from European competitions, Casemiro faces a significant challenge in reaching the required number of starts needed for an automatic contract extension. As reported by The Athletic, he must start 35 matches this season to trigger an automatic one-year extension to his contract.

Having already participated in 18 matches across all competitions, he is currently 17 starts short of his target—the exact number of matches remaining in the season, as the club is focused solely on the Premier League. Therefore, Casemiro will need to be in the starting lineup for every league match under newly appointed head coach Michael Carrick to secure his extension at Old Trafford.

The report further indicates that while United can opt to activate a one-year extension for the 33-year-old even if he does not meet the required starts, such a decision would not be automatic. At present, there are no indications that the club intends to negotiate a reduced wage contract or activate the extension without meeting the criteria. Consequently, Casemiro’s future at the club may hinge on his role under Carrick.

Casemiro joined Manchester United in 2022 for an initial fee of £60 million ($80.7 million) from Real Madrid, where he was a five-time Champions League winner. However, the potential £10 million in performance-related add-ons from the transfer are unlikely to be fulfilled, given United’s lack of success in either the Premier League or the Champions League during his tenure.

Initially, the veteran midfielder’s contract was valued at £350,000 ($468,000) per week; however, his salary has since dropped below £300,000 due to the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, reflecting standard cuts across the squad.

If Manchester United qualifies for the Champions League this season, and Casemiro starts every match leading up to the season finale against Brighton, he could see his wages restored to their original figure, potentially earning him over £18 million ($24 million) in the final year of his contract.

Casemiro’s future at Old Trafford is precarious, and he will need to perform at his highest level for the remainder of the season to ensure he meets the necessary starts for an automatic extension.

Requiring 35 starts in a season is undoubtedly a tall order, especially considering that United will play just 40 matches across all competitions this year—their lowest total since the 1914-15 season.

As United embarks on a new era against local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford this Saturday at 12:30 PM GMT, Casemiro aims to solidify his position within the squad and demonstrate his value to new manager Carrick’s plans for the remainder of the season.