Casemiro Leaving Man United Will Save the Club Over £18m

Manchester United have announced that Casemiro will leave Old Trafford at the end of the 2025/26 season.

The Brazilian midfielder has been with United since August 2022, when he arrived from Real Madrid for a transfer fee of £70 million.

His current contract expires at the end of June. The deal includes the option for United to extend it by a further 12 months, but that will not be exercised.

Man United confirm Casemiro departure

United confirmed the news of Casemiro’s scheduled departure in a 210-word statement published this week.

The statement referred to the 33-year-old as a “legendary midfielder” and “a serial winner”. Casemiro was also quoted as saying: “I will carry Manchester United with me throughout my entire life.

“From the first day that I walked out at this beautiful stadium, I felt the passion of Old Trafford and the love that I now share with our supporters for this special club.

“It is not time to say goodbye; there are many more memories to create during the next four months.

“We still have a lot to fight for together; my complete focus will, as always, remain on giving my everything to help our club to succeed.”

Casemiro exit to save Man United £18.2m in wages

Casemiro is still regarded as a first-team regular. He has featured in 21 of United’s first 24 games in all competitions this season, taking his overall tally of appearances for the club to 146.

The decision to release Casemiro at the end of this season, rather than keeping him for a further year, is largely a financial one.

Casemiro currently earns £350,000 per week at Old Trafford. As one of the top earners in England, he recently featured in the highest-paid Premier League XI 2026.

By opting not to keep Casemiro for another 52 weeks, United will save a total of £18.2m in wages alone.

That is a significant amount for a club that just finished in its lowest-ever position in the Deloitte Money League, which revealed that Liverpool made more revenue than all of their Premier League rivals.

United may also be able to make a further saving by avoiding the need to buy a direct replacement. It is widely believed that Casemiro’s exit will pave the way for Kobbie Mainoo to become a regular starter again.

Indeed, United are reportedly keen to open talks with Mainoo over a new contract to tie him down for the foreseeable future.

Casemiro cost Man United more than £140m in total

Casemiro will leave Manchester United with two winners’ medals, having played a key role in the Carabao Cup triumph of 2022/23 and the FA Cup victory the following season.

He has appeared in 146 games for United to date. That figure could rise as high as 163 if he does not miss a single match between now and the end of the campaign.

Having cost £70m in terms of a transfer fee, plus slightly more than that again in wages, United will have spent in excess of £140m on Casemiro by the time he leaves.

Therefore, Casemiro’s cost per game by the time he departs Old Trafford will be at the very least £850,000.