Report: Manchester United closing in on Casemiro in deal worth up to €70M
Manchester United are prepared to pay Real Madrid an initial €60 million plus €10 million in add-ons for decorated midfielder Casemiro after tempting the Brazilian with an offer to make him one of their highest-paid players, according to The Athletic’s Adam Crafton.
Los Blancos were reportedly reluctant to let the 30-year-old leave but won’t stand in his way after Casemiro accepted a long-term deal that will keep him at United until 2026. There’s also an option to extend his stay for a fifth year.
United are said to be confident about completing the transfer before the Sept. 1 deadline after football director John Murtough spearheaded negotiations with the Brazilian.
Casemiro is now expected to undergo medical examinations in the coming days, Crafton reports.
The four-year deal includes a significant raise on the player’s current annual salary of around £9 million, according to The Times’ Charlotte Dunker and Paul Joyce.
It was always going to take a sizeable financial package to convince Casemiro to leave Madrid. He’s a popular figure at the Bernabeu, having won five Champions League titles over the past decade in the Spanish capital, and he still has three years remaining on his contract with the reigning European champions.
United, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the Champions League for the second time in four years and lost their first two matches of the Premier League campaign.
Casemiro would rival Cristiano Ronaldo and David De Gea as one of the club’s best-paid players. Ronaldo brings in an estimated £500,000 per week, while De Gea earns a weekly salary of £375,000.
A deal for Casemiro would likely end the club’s long-standing pursuit of Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong. Despite reaching an agreement with the Blaugrana to sign the Dutchman for as much as €85 million, United have reportedly struggled to convince the 25-year-old to accept a move to Old Trafford.
United have abandoned talks for several players this summer. The club reportedly backed out of negotiations with Bologna over Marko Arnautovic after receiving written complaints from fans about the striker’s character. Talks with Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot also collapsed this week because of the Frenchman’s excessive salary demands.
