Manchester United officially announced Casemiro’s departure at the end of his contract this season, after the English club decided not to activate the clause that would have allowed them to extend the contract for another year.
The Brazilian star joined the Red Devils from Real Madrid in the summer of 2012 for €80 million. He made 146 appearances, scoring 21 goals, and won only two titles: the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
Discussions between Casemiro and United’s management began months ago to determine his future after his contract expired. Ultimately, the club decided to end the 33-year-old’s time at Old Trafford as part of a long-term restructuring plan that primarily focuses on signing young players.
According to English media reports, Casemiro has no intention of retiring and will continue playing football. There are two potential destinations for him after his participation with the Brazilian national team in the 2026 World Cup.
The first and most likely destination is a move to the Saudi Professional League, where the player has been attracting interest for over two years. However, he has consistently chosen to remain in Europe. It now seems unlikely that he will stay on the continent after his time with Manchester United.
Al-Nassr was the club most eager to sign Casemiro, and it was specifically reported that Cristiano Ronaldo was a strong advocate for bringing the Real Madrid legend to Al-Nassr. Discussions between the two regarding a potential transfer have already taken place.
If Casemiro rejects the Saudi move for any reason, the other available option would be a return to Brazil. São Paulo, the club where he began his career, would likely be the most eager to secure his services immediately.
Casemiro has not yet decided his fate, and according to Ben Jacobs, he is expected to welcome the move to Saudi Arabia in light of the huge salary offered to him, which may exceed 30 million euros annually and which he will not find in his home country of Brazil, and he will give up more than 3 times that amount if he wants to join any European club.
