LA Galaxy are among the clubs who have shown interest in Manchester United midfielder Casemiro.
The Brazilian has brought forward an announcement to bring down the curtain on his Old Trafford career and many at United anticipate he is close to reaching a pre-contract agreement with his next club.
The 33-year-old has had interest from Saudi Arabia, Brazil and the MLS.
Ahead of the World Cup this summer, several MLS franchises are exploring who is available in Europe, particularly on free transfers, who can continue to raise the league’s profile, help the game grow at grassroots level and commercially attract more revenue.
While there was a club option to trigger a further year on Casemiro’s contract, Daily Mail Sport understands that Casemiro personally requested for United to clarify his future to supporters.
His pending departure comes at a time when United have been preparing for some time for a major midfield overhaul which could see as many as four new faces come the summer, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba their two top targets.
Casemiro could be in line to join LA Galaxy in the summer with the MLS side interested in him
As well as LA Galaxy, Casemiro has had interest from Saudi Arabia and Brazil too
Casemiro has announced that he will be leaving Manchester United at the end of the season
By announcing ahead of this weekend’s trip to Arsenal, it is believed that both Casemiro’s team and United can get a head start on planning for the future, as well as removing ambiguity and speculation around what comes next.
‘I will carry Manchester United with me throughout my entire life,’ Casemiro said in a statement.
‘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 joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in a £70million deal back in 2022 and he is currently the club’s top earner on £375,000-a-week.
Having been written off in his second season, Casemiro has bounced back to play a key role for United under Ruben Amorim, Darren Fletcher, and now Michael Carrick.
Casemiro, who is set to play in the World Cup this summer with Brazil, has made 21 appearances so far this season and has managed a total of 146 games in a United shirt.
The 33-year-old’s contract expires at the end of the term with Casemiro on £370,000-a-week
The midfielder will be hoping to end his time at the club on a high by securing a top-four finish
United sources have indicated that their decision not to renew his contract was taken long ago, well in advance of this announcement, as is part of their bigger plan to transform their central midfield options come June.
As well as Casemiro, there are doubts about the long term futures of Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer at Old Trafford, while Christian Eriksen, who left as a free agent last summer, was not replaced.
