After a successful first season, Casemiro has struggled to maintain his form since, with the 32-year-old showing plenty of signs that he's now past his best – handing Manchester United a problem they must solve.
Man United transfer news
It looked like good business when Manchester United welcomed a player of Casemiro's calibre – a serial winner who was still a consistent starter at the heart of Real Madrid's midfield. Now in his second season, however, and the £70m price tag that the Red Devils splashed out looks more and more like another regrettable decision.
Man Utd were bled dry by “unreliable” dud who earned more than Garnacho
The Man United ace cost the club £48.5m over his 12 year stay.
ByTom Lever
It's a decision that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been left to rectify in his first summer at Old Trafford, which could see a number of incomings and departures take place. Reports suggest, for example, that Christian Eriksen is likely to be among those shown the exit door now that Kobbie Mainoo has taken the Dane's place in Erik ten Hag's Premier League side.
Meanwhile, the future of Raphael Varane is still in doubt, with the Frenchman's contract set to expire in the summer of 2025 and United running out of time to cash in. Their first priority seems to be replacing Casemiro, however.
According to Sport in Spain, Manchester United have made signing Joshua Kimmich a priority this summer from Bayern Munich, who reportedly value their star at €50m (£43m).
Whilst United will have to fend off plenty of interest in the defensive midfielder, who can also play at right-back, they will hope to at least overpower Barcelona financially, leaving them to compete against the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. Given that Kimmich's contract runs out in the summer of 2025, Bayern are running out of time to gain a transfer fee for their star man.
At 29 years old, Kimmich still has a few years left in the tank and represents one of the best options to replace Casemiro for a potential bargain price this summer.
"Monster" Kimmich is better than Casemiro
Before each of their current levels is even considered, Kimmich's versatility alone instantly makes him a more dependable option than Casemiro. The German would become the leader at the heart of United's midfield that Casemiro was meant to be for more than just his debut season, and quickly become one of the bargains of the summer transfer window if a cut-price deal is feasible. Kimmich's stats this season even prove as much:
Progressive Passes
169
71
Progressive Carries
35
8
Ball Recoveries
101
74
Blocks
22
47
Interceptions
13
11
What's more, Kimmich is a player who's certainly rated in Germany, with former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick once saying via Bavarian Football Works: "Joshua Kimmich is an absolute professional, a mentality monster.
"He’s always in the game, he never gives up. He’s one who always pushes but of course, has enormous quality on the ball. His passes and his set pieces have enormous quality. That’s why he plays for Bayern Munich and is why we’ve also been so successful with him."
Now, United could find themselves benefiting from that quality as they look to replace Casemiro just two seasons after he arrived from Real Madrid.
