30 December 2023 , 15:58
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Manchester United star Casemiro has been told that his career at Old Trafford is "over" in a brutal takedown.
The message comes after Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly criticised the Red Devils' decision to spend an initial £60million on the Brazilian midfielder, who joined from Real Madrid in August 2022 aged 30. Ratcliffe, chairman of petrochemicals conglomerate INEOS, agreed a £1.3billion deal with the Glazers last week to acquire a 25 per cent stake United and take control of their football operations.
Britain's second-richest man believes that Casemiro, who was handed a lucrative four-year deal, is symptomatic of the Red Devils' poor recruitment policy, something which he wants overhaul. Despite being one of Erik ten Hag's most important players last season, the five-time Champions League winner has suffered a significant drop-off in form and spent the last two months out injured, leading to suggestions ahead of the January transfer window that he'll soon be moved on, with Ratcliffe happy to cash in.
In a conversation with beIN Sports colleague Andy Gray about United's long-standing injury woes, former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys was asked whether or not Casemiro would still be a starter had he remained fit. "No!" Keys firmly replied on beIN Sports. "His career's over there."
Keys isn't the first person to suggest that Casemiro should be sold, with the Independent reporting earlier this month that the Red Devils have put the Brazil international up for sale alongside former Real Madrid team-mate Raphael Varane and out-of-favour winger Jadon Sancho, who's fallen out with Ten Hag.
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Ten Hag is set to be without Casemiro for at least two more games - Saturday's Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest and the FA Cup third-round tie away to Wigan Athletic on Monday, January 8. Speaking at his pre-Forest press conference on Friday, the United manager issued an update on when fans could expect to see the 31-year-old and his fellow absentees back in action.
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"We expect many players to return in mid-January: Mason [Mount], Casemiro, [Lisandro] Martinez, [Tyrell] Malacia and also Harry Maguire, of course," Ten Hag confirmed, adding that Red Devils striker Anthony Martial is still ill and won't feature at the City Ground on Saturday.
"I think we are very optimistic. When the players return and now the luck is a little bit on our side in the matter of injuries, then we have five or six new signings in January."