It seems the Manchester United midfielder is now surplus to needs after a mixed stint at the club.
Casemiro is an incredibly costly asset, and his diminishing output last season was a real worry for the Red Devils.
Saudi club Al Ittihad are looking at a deal for Casemiro, report L’Equipe. While Casemiro has returned for pre-season, an exit may be inevitable.
After such a great first season at Manchester United, what went wrong?
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Casemiro losing top level status
At the time of the Brazilian joining there was much elation from Manchester United fans. But there were issues with the signing from the start. He signed on extremely large wages and a long contract for a midfielder coming towards the end of his career.
New investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe was unimpressed with the Casemiro deal, and highlighted it as poor business during his takeover talks.
Casemiro’s addition to the team was a positive, but last season there was a measurable decline in his output.
Looking at his data there is an alarming sets of numbers showing that, unfortunately, the midfielder now has his best years behind him and that the Red Devils must look to move him on.
This season Manchester United have looked poor in many games due to not being able to be on the front foot when regaining possession. This is partly due to the reduction in the abilities of Casemiro, who, at times, now looks less assured and more “reckless” in his approach.
This is showcased by the fact that his Interceptions per 90 have reduced from 1.44 per 90 to 0.82 per 90.
Also he has seen his numbers drop in his attacking third tackles and mid 3rd tackles too.
He has also been much less successful in important aspects of his game. Once one of the best tacklers in the league he has now seen his success rate of percentage of dribblers tackled fall, and an increase in errors per 90.
Finally, one of the biggest reasons Manchester United have struggled this season has been that their attack has also performed poorly.
The team has lost Casemiro’s ability to to turn defence into attack as he has had an astronomical reduction in ball recoveries from 8.69 per 90 last season to 6.04 per 90, and he is also being dispossessed more often.
Some of the issues in this data has been Casemiro playing out of position late in the season due to the injuries, and part of his issues may be that he had to be rushed back due to the crisis at the club. But, even on the “eye test”, it is clear to see he is not the player he once was.
Casemiro Injury Record
Another other reason for concern is that his decline has been coupled with a serious injury setback.
Previously the midfielder had a good injury history and no major setback. But this season a knock in October saw him ruled out long term for 83 days and absence for a large portion of the season with 17 games missed.
One large injury like this at his age can be the start of recurrent issues. One setback like this can then have a trickle down effect on the rest of the body for imbalances and weaknesses.
The positive is that he recovered well, but the evidence is that the player has seen a decline in output anyway. And Casemiro ended up missing the FA Cup Final with injury cited.
Overall Casemiro is a costly asset who is still a good player, but has lost his World Class tag and is likely to only get worse as age catches up with him.
Casemiro was not selected in Brazil’s Copa America squad this past summer, which spoke volumes.
It would make sense for Manchester United to cash in on him if they get an offer so the money can be reinvested and wages saved, or given to a much better age profile player.