Manchester United keen on signing former City midfielder to replace Casemiro

Casemiro has proven to be one of the signings of the season since swapping Real Madrid for Manchester United last summer.

The difference in the Red Devils’ performance and results with and without him is night and day, with the Brazilian shielding his side’s backline by nipping every transition in the bud through his well-timed tackles, duels, and positional awareness. The same was the case in United’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa, who failed to score for the first time in a league game under Unai Emery.

But the 31-year-old has also been the reason behind a number of those transitional moments due to his inability to retain possession.

Manchester United need a press-resistant midfielder this summer

Casemiro’s best trait with the ball at his feet is finding forwards with a quick pass from the second phase. But the moment he’s expected to just hold the ball and play a one-two with other midfielders to evade the pressing from the opposition, he struggles. This stops Erik ten Hag’s men from building from the back and underlines why he wanted Frenkie de Jong.

This summer, it is believed Ten Hag is keen on Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia. According to the Independent, the Dutch coach admires Lavia as a potential long-term successor to Casemiro.

The 19-year-old left Manchester City last summer and has enjoyed a brilliant season in the middle of the park at Southampton. Chelsea took notice of his potential early on and made a stunning £50m bid for him just weeks after his switch to Southampton.

Southampton sit at the very bottom of the Premier League table, destined for England’s second-tier next season. Lavia is unlikely to play in the Championship, and as a result, should be on the market in the summer transfer window.