Manchester United have officially avoided a Casemiro contract extension after the midfielder missed Saturday's 0-0 draw at Sunderland through injury. It is understood that the Brazilian had a clause in his deal that would have led to a one-year extension to his £375,000-a-week contract if he started 35 Premier League matches this season.
The 34-year-old reached an agreement in January to waive the clause during talks to formally announce that he would be leaving United this summer. It is said that both parties agreed that it would not be activated even if the target was hit.
It looked unlikely at the time anyway, as Casemiro needed to start all of United's final 21 Premier League games of the season to hit the target of 35. This was due to him missing December's trip to Aston Villa through suspension.
Such a scenario seemed more plausible since the appointment of Michael Carrick as interim head coach. The former Real Madrid player has been a key figure since Carrick's arrival in January and has started regularly.
But the Brazil international was not able to play at the Stadium of Light this weekend due to a minor injury - meaning any chance of an extension clause being activated is officially over.
The Red Devils are confident Casemiro will be available to feature at Old Trafford against Nottingham Forest next Sunday. United then go to Brighton and Hove Albion a week later in their final game of the season.
While Casemiro's future looks almost certain to be away from M16 - questions remain over whether Carrick will be handed the permanent role at United.
The former Reds midfielder has had a transformative impact having guided his old side back into the Champions League - a competition they have not been in since 2023. And Casemiro feels Carrick deserves the chance to become United's permanent boss.
Speaking to ESPN last week, he said: "The club has a big problem in that aspect, right? Because we know he came in as an interim manager, he came, he delivered, he had difficult games. He did very well, he's doing very well, he's a guy who knows the club, he knows what Manchester United is all about. He has class, he has the attitude of Manchester United, he's an incredible person, and he deserves it, he deserves to stay. If I were to give my opinion, he's a guy who deserves it. Knowing him day to day, you already say, 'this guy deserves it'. He has class, he lives and breathes the club, he knows what the club is all about. So, for me, this guy has to stay at the club for more years because he deserves it, he really deserves the job."
