Casemiro hits Man Utd with major transfer blow as sources reveal midfielder’s wage cut stance

In a huge blow to Ruben Amorim’s transfer plans, Casemiro is increasingly likely to stay at Manchester United until 2026 when his £350,000-per-week contract expires.

Man Utd’s hierarchy, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are actively trying to cut costs and offload players on high wages who aren’t part of the club’s long-term plans.

Casemiro, 33, is one of the players Man Utd are actively looking to move on in the summer. Several clubs have asked for information about the midfielder, from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Brazil.

However, TEAMtalk understands that no club has shown any concrete interest in Casemiro as he is unwilling to budge on his ‘very high’ salary demands.

And what’s more, Man Utd have never lowered their demands on Casemiro’s valuation, with his price tag fixed at €30m (£25m, $31.5m).

Sources state that Casemiro ‘won’t give up a penny’ of his salary – meaning his suitors must match his £350,000 per week wage to get him.

This makes a sale incredibly difficult for Man Utd, as even Casemiro’s suitors from the Saudi Pro League won’t come close to matching his demands.

READ MORE: Ruben Amorim ‘on a tightrope’ at Man Utd with top Spanish coach lined up as replacement

Saudi are prepared to wait for Casemiro – sources

We understand clubs from Saudi Arabia are more inclined to wait until 2026 to sign Casemiro when he will become a free agent.

The only way for Man Utd to offload him this summer is to drop their price tag significantly or agree to a loan in which they’ll pay a large portion of his salary, as they’ve done with Antony this season.

Otherwise, Casemiro is destined to remain at Old Trafford until the end of the 2025/26 season.

As previously reported, Man Utd do have funds to play with this summer but need to be mindful of their PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules) situation.

The fact that they are set to miss out on European qualification – barring them winning the Europa League – means their spending power will be further limited.

With Casemiro now likely to stay, Man Utd will have to generate funds by selling other players.

Aston Villa have the option to sign Marcus Rashford permanently for £40m in the summer as part their loan agreement, while the Red Devils are actively trying to sell Antony, who has done well so far on loan with Betis. However, the winger’s high wages of £200,000 per week also make a sale difficult for him.

Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton are all out of contract in the summer, so their departures will free up some space on the wage bill.

Amorim will no doubt hope that he can sell enough fringe players to have a game-changing summer window, rather than selling academy graduates such as Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, who were both linked with big-money exits in January.

Man Utd round-up: Sporting double raid, Osimhen latest

Meanwhile, reports suggest Man Utd are ‘advancing’ in talks to sign Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda, while they’re also said to be keen on his teammate, Morten Hjulmand.

On Quenda, journalist Ben Jacobs has reported: “Talks are advancing, but not necessarily advanced, because Manchester United are sticking to their number,” the journalist told Givemesport.

“And at the moment, as you would expect, Sporting are doing the same as well. So there has been a little bit of an impasse, but Jorge Mendes is directly involved in negotiations, and because the player has a desire to join Manchester United, they remain hopeful that something can get done.

“They see appeal in a talented teenager who can join when he’s 18 and can play right-wing or right wing-back.”

In other news, reports from Nigeria have claimed that Man Utd are ’95 percent’ certain to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

He is expected to leave Napoli permanently once his loan with Galatasaray ends in the summer. Osimhen has performed extremely well in Turkey, with 20 goals in 25 Galatasaray appearances to date, as well as contributing five assists.

DON’T MISS: 10 Man Utd targets who are out of contract in 2026, including Tottenham star and world-class striker

QUIZ: Man Utd’s biggest sales, 2015-2024