Casemiro gave Manchester United fans another reminder of what they will miss next season on Sunday, 15 March, at Old Trafford. The Red Devils hosted fellow top-four contenders Aston Villa at the Theatre of Dreams in the Premier League, with both teams tied on 51 points after 29 games.
After the first half ended 0-0, Casemiro took matters into his own hands. The Brazilian got to the end of another Bruno Fernandes corner in the 53rd minute to give his team the lead.
Villa were briefly back in the game 11 minutes later through Ross Barkley, but Fernandes set up Cunha to get the home side back in front in the 71st minute. Benjamin Sesko scored his customary goal off the bench in the 81st minute to secure all three points for United and help them go three points clear in third place in the Premier League.
Casemiro’s season so far
Casemiro endured a dip in form in the 2024/25 campaign, but has been back to his best this season. The Brazilian forged an impressive partnership with Fernandes as a two-man midfield pivot in former United head coach Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system in the first half of the campaign.
Following the Portuguese’s departure and the arrival of caretaker manager Michael Carrick, the Red Devils switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation, but Casemiro has been equally impressive. The 34 year old has registered seven goals and two assists in 29 appearances in all competitions this season, all but two of which were starts.
Casemiro Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 28 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 2,066' |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 11' |
| EFL Cup | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 29 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 2,077' |
Source: Transfermarkt.
However, Casemiro has already announced that he will leave Old Trafford once his contract expires at the end of this season. The Brazilian’s recent form, though, has sparked talk of a possible extension, and acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on the matter.
United not working on Casemiro’s renewal
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano insisted that United have not initiated talks to extend Casemiro’s stay at the club. He said: “Today at Old Trafford, there was this song going around from the Manchester United fans – ‘one more year’, ‘one more year, Casemiro’.”
“They want him to stay because the Champions League spot is now close for Manchester United and the perspective to have a leader like Casemiro, an experienced player who knows Champions League football so well is obviously attractive for the fans.”
“But Casemiro already decided in January that he’s going to leave Manchester United. That was an official statement, so was not just a rumour or a verbal agreement. Casemiro already decided to move on. At the moment, what I can tell you and what I can answer the Man Utd fans is that no one from the club has told Casemiro, ‘Please stay with us for one more season’.”
Romano, however, refused to completely rule out a U-turn, adding: “Let’s see what’s going to happen from now to the end of the season. And maybe, you know, these kinds of situations could happen at the very end of the season when you are maybe sure about the project you are going to do and continue in terms of manager, in terms of Champions League football and all the rest.”
“But, at the moment, still nothing changed between Casemiro and Utd, apart from the fact that Casemiro is being a fantastic professional, is helping, the relationship with the fans is great. So, let’s see what’s going to happen.”
Final Thoughts
Casemiro’s age and his exorbitant wages are the main stumbling blocks for a possible renewal. Even if United were to consider his stay, the Brazilian can only be a stop-gap solution, and the Red Devils must sign his replacement this summer.
Featured image Lewis Storey via Getty Images
The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
