Whitwell: ‘Outstanding’ Utd man close to earning contract extension on one condition, the power’s in Carrick’s hands

Casemiro will have his Manchester United tenure extended by a year if he starts every game from now until the summer.Indeed, The Athletic reports that the Brazilian’s one-year option in his terms now hinges on how many times he makes the starting XI in the second half of the season.While it is perhaps unlikely that he do so for all 17 remaining games, there is certainly a chance, given how much he’s been utilised under both Erik ten Hag and, eventually, Ruben Amorim. 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲: Casemiro can trigger his extra year at Manchester United by starting a certain number of games this season, believed to be 35 starts in all competitions. The Brazilian has started 18 times this season, all in the Premier League, so would need to feature in… pic.twitter.com/EY1gLMqo1o — The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) January 16, 2026How Casemiro has fared this campaign(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)This season, for example, the only Premier League fixture that Casemiro – hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Rio Ferdinand – didn’t start due to tactical reasons or suspension was the reverse of tomorrow’s clash: the Manchester derby at the Etihad in September.Amorim swiftly learnt his lesson, as the Brazilian subsequently started every league fixture under the coach until his departure, after which he also retained his place for the 2-2 draw with Burnley under Darren Fletcher.In total, he has been deployed from the off 18 times this campaign. Appearances (starts) Goals Assists Minutes played 145 (123) 21 13 10,605 Casemiro’s future: The state of play (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Previously, it had been reported that United would be open to offering Casemiro a new, short-term deal, so long as he accepted a reduction on his exorbitant wages – believed to be in the region of £350,000 per week.However, his contract would automatically renew if the aforementioned term is met, meaning the board could well be advising Michael Carrick to omit the 33-year-old from the XI one week in order to bypass the clause.It would then be up to both the hierarchy and Casemiro to negotiate a fresh contract, although the seasoned veteran could, of course, opt to pull the curtains on his Old Trafford career entirely, having spent the last four-and-a-half years plying his trade in England.