Man Utd Announce Shock Casemiro Departure

The Brazilian joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in 2022.

Casemiro is on a four-month farewell. | Copa/Getty Images

Manchester United have announced that this season will be Casemiro’s last at the club, with the Brazilian to leave Old Trafford when his contract expires in June.

The timing comes as a shock given that four months of 2025–26 still remain, although it serves to put to bed an issue that had been bubbling away with uncertainty for a while already.

United have confirmed there will be a special farewell to Casemiro at the final home game of the season against Nottingham Forest on May 17.

“I will carry Manchester United with me throughout my entire life,” he told the club’s official website.

“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.”

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Casemiro’s Rollercoaster Ride at Man Utd

Having been a five-time Champions League winner for Real Madrid, Casemiro will walk away from Manchester with Carabao Cup and FA Cup medals from 2022–23 and 2023–24 respectively.

He quickly became a fan favourite and there have been some huge performances over the years, notably scoring at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle, which helped secure United’s first trophy in six years.

His finest hour with Man Utd. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

But the veteran South American also had dips in form, particularly during his second season when a nightmare performance away at Crystal Palace prompted Jamie Carragher to infamously remark: “Leave the football before it leaves you.”

Casemiro started fewer than half of the club’s Premier League games last season, until storming back into the starting lineup in 2025–26. It is thought a clause in his contract would trigger a one-year extension if he starts 35 games. Reaching that figure is still possible were he to be named in the lineup by interim manager Michael Carrick for all 16 remaining Premier League fixtures, but it seems an agreement has been reached to part ways regardless of how the next few months unfold.

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Which Club Will Casemiro Join Next?

Staying in Europe is not seen the as the ‘most likely’ path for Casemiro. But while there has been strong interest from Saudi Arabia in the past, it was reported in December that a jump to Major League Soccer is certainly very plausible and a genuine possibility.

At this stage there is no indication which club—any that he joins would be getting the midfielder partway through the 2026 season in July—but there is no shortage of realistic options.

Sports Illustrated posited last month the idea of joining New York City, which could be controversial considering the club belongs to the City Football Group, 2023 MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew, or the ambitious Austin FC with flexible Designated Player (DP) slots.

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