Casemiro stands to earn £39.2million over the remaining 112 weeks of his Man United contract and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new Old Trafford regime will be desperate to purge him from the payroll.
Despite a superb maiden season at Old Trafford, the Brazilian’s recent form – or lack thereof – means his astronomical salary now appears a huge financial misstep for the club.
That view echoes the reported comments of a Real Madrid board member ahead of the 32-year-old’s move away from the Bernabeu in August 2022.
The package United were offering was described as “crazy” by the unnamed director, per talkSPORT journalist Anil Kandola in conversation with United outlet mufcMPB in April.
Neither Casemiro‘s transfer fee nor his wages would have been approved by Ratcliffe‘s administration, who have looked to cut costs at the club since arriving as 28 per cent shareholders in February.
How much does Casemiro earn?
If Casemiro remains at Manchester United next season, he will earn less than he did in 2023-24 due to the club’s absence from the Champions League, which comes with step-up clauses in most players’ deals.
Given his nosedive in form in recent months, it is also likely that the 75-cap man’s take-home would be cut because of fewer appearance fees and performance-related bonuses.
The total amount by which this would reduce Casemiro’s salary is not insignificant – for context, United’s last set of annual accounts showed that add-ons could total £145m if all achievements are met.
His base of £350,000-a-week meanwhile represents almost 5.5 per cent of the club’s £331m wage bill at the last count and he is believed to be the top earner at Old Trafford.
United also have the option to extend his deal by a further year after expires in 2026, but that now seems overwhelmingly unlikely.
The only way the club could escape paying £39.2m to Casemiro either as a pay-off or in wages as he runs down his contract would be if another club could take him off their hands.
And the number of suitors with the financial clout to be able to sign him is limited.
Could the Saudi Pro League offer United an escape route?
Casemiro’s pitiful display in the 4-0 humiliation at Crystal Palace on Monday night was further confirmation that if he does depart Old Trafford, it will not be to an elite team.
That reduces the number of clubs that could afford to pay his wages to a tiny pool, focused almost entirely on the Saudi Pro League.
The Pro League have spent billions over the last 18 months and while some had forecasted a collapse in the style of the Chinese Super League, whose once huge investment in domestic football has now come to a near-total halt, the Saudi transfer drive shows no signs of slowing down.
Reports suggest that Saudi clubs are preparing to spend around £2bn on blockbuster additions this summer, with 5-6 marquee signings on the cards.
With the nation set to host the World Cup in 2034, attention-grabbing deals for players of Casemiro’s superstar profile ware due to remain high on the agenda for some time.
United’s lack of bargaining power with Casemiro means that they would be unlikely to receive much in the way of a transfer fee, but at this stage they will simply be keen to cut their losses, just as they did when Cristiano Ronaldo left for Al-Nassr in January 2023.
