Since Ruben Amorim’s appointment as Manchester United head coach, Casemiro has had to be satisfied with a bit-part role which is why the Brazilian is being linked with a January exit.
When Ruud van Nistelrooy was in interim charge, the 32-year-old started four games on the trot but as soon as the Portuguese arrived, his chances diminished significantly.
In fact, the Brazil international has managed only four starts under the former Sporting Lisbon boss but has not managed 90 minutes even once.
His last appearance came almost four weeks ago, and recently, the five-time Champions League winner has seen academy graduate Toby Collyer overtake him in the pecking order with Amorim set to offer more chances to the 21-year-old moving forward.
Casemiro’s future up in the air
That does not bode well for the former Real Madrid superstar, who has already seen a move to Al-Nassr slip away due to his contract demands.
Major League Soccer clubs are interested in the defensive midfielder but an even more enticing prospect could be on the horizon if Spanish outlet AS are to be believed.
They have claimed that former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is currently in charge of Besiktas, has earmarked the former Real Madrid superstar as reinforcement for the midfield.
“On the other hand, Beşiktaş’s new manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is calling for the signing of former Real Madrid player Casemiro to replace Al Musrati who was signed in January 2024 from Braga.
“Al Musrati could not have confidence in the Bosphorus club due to his poor performance,” the report claimed.
The Norwegian has already been asked whether he will target United players due to his connection with the 20-time English league champions and it seems like the Treble winner has his eyes on a couple of United stars.
Besiktas could swoop for him
As recently relayed by The Peoples Person, Solskjaer is also interested in bringing Marcus Rashford to the Tüpraş Stadyumu even though the Mancunian prefers a move to Barcelona.
As for Casemiro, while a move to Besiktas might not be as lucrative as a potential move to reunite with former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, a Turkish adventure means he will get to remain in Europe and it opens up the chance to play in continental competitions.
Whether Besiktas will try this month or in the summer remains to be seen. Casemiro’s current deal is valid until 2026 and Al-Nassr’s offer also remains on the table. Now the ball seems to be in the midfielder’s court.
INEOS would welcome his exit due to his humongous wages of £350,000 gross per week (via capology), which makes him the club’s highest earner. Getting him off the wage bill while recouping a small fee would be beneficial for the club’s PSR outlook.
Feature image Eddie Keogh via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
