Casemiro upgrade: Man Utd in contact for world’s “most underrated player”
There’s been no such thing as home comforts for Manchester United of late, with Tuesday’s dour draw with bottom-side Wolverhampton Wanderers having been the fourth time in their last five Old Trafford outings that the Red Devils have failed to win on home soil.
In the absence of Bruno Fernandes and co, Ruben Amorim’s men were simply devoid of creativity and spark, with it taking a fortunate deflection for Joshua Zirkzee to eventually nudge the hosts ahead.
Pegged back before the break, there was to be no second-half surge akin to the win at Molineux not too long ago, with United’s desperate night epitomised late on, as the ageing Casemiro was caught out after labouring on the ball inside the Wolves half.
A collective groan went round the Theatre of Dreams as the 33-year-old had his pocket picked, with the midfielder failing to slide in Brazil teammate Matheus Cunha ahead of him.
In truth, the pairing of the £70m man and Manuel Ugarte simply didn’t work against Rob Edwards’ plucky outfit, with a new midfielder a necessity when the window opens next month.
Man Utd already making calls over midfield signing
After a summer that saw United sound out a possible deal for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, rumours are also rife that INEOS could look to Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson in 2026, following a breakthrough few months for the England international.
The problem? Neither of those two Premier League rivals is set to sell on the cheap, amid reported £100m plus price tags, with it far more likely that any deal would have to take place over the summer instead.
Indeed, there needs to be a sense of realism over what United can and can’t do in the market next month, after an over £200m outlay last time out, with more affordable, short-term deals needed in January.
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It would appear that the club themselves are aware of that, with journalist Ben Jacobs revealing that INEOS have already been making calls over a possible move for Al Hilal star Ruben Neves.
That interest isn’t believed to have progressed to anything more, although that contact comes amid the Portuguese’s expiring contract, ensuring he could be available for a knock-down price in the winter window.
Prior reports have indicated that the ex-Wolves man could be available for as little as £20m.
Why Neves signing could spell the end for Casemiro
Ignoring his significant fee and £350k-per-week salary, Casemiro has been a solid servant for United in recent years, scoring 21 times in all since his arrival in 2022, four of which have come this season.
That said, with his own deal running out in January, the Brazil skipper is coming to the climax of his Old Trafford journey, with Tuesday’s display again highlighting his physical shortcomings.
In all, the experienced warrior has now been dribbled past 1.1 times per game in the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore.
For context, Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo have been dribbled past just 0.5 and 0.7 times per game, respectively, in 2025/26.
Perhaps Casemiro is merely being exposed by Amorim’s tactical set-up, but either way, a suitable replacement needs to be found. Neves might just be that.
Lauded as arguably the “most underrated player in world football” in recent years by analyst Raj Chohan, the 28-year-old is a man of proven Premier League experience, having made 177 appearances in the competition during his stint at Molineux, chalking up 30 goal involvements in that time.
While not prolific, the one-time Porto captain does have that knack for the spectacular, regularly seen rifling home from range during his days with the Old Gold.
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Of course, there might be concerns that he has been plying his trade out in Saudi Arabia for the last two years or so, although he has registered 39 goals and assists in 108 games in that time, while remaining part of the national team set-up.
Neves vs Casemiro – 25/26 League Stats
Stat (*per game)
Neves
Casemiro
Games
10
17
Goals
4
4
Assists
0
1
Big chances created
3
1
Key passes
1.5
0.6
Pass accuracy
91%
82%
Total duels won
58%
52%
Dribbled past
0.9
1.1
Stats via Sofascore
The 63-cap Portugal star was also mixing it with the Premier League’s best during his final season in the Midlands, with FBref noting that two of the most statistically similar midfielders to him in the division at the time were the aforementioned Rice and Caicedo.
He was in good company then, and a move back to England could well see him emerge as a vital, if not underrated, figure in Amorim’s midfield unit, with such a deal potentially set to prove the final nail in the coffin for Casemiro’s Old Trafford stay.
Experienced, but still in his peak years, Neves is the ready-made successor to the South American that United are in desperate need of.
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