Schmeichel encourages INEOS to sign ‘controversial’ Casemiro successor this summer, he’d be a ‘proper leader’

Peter Schmeichel has put forth a potential Casemiro successor for Manchester United this summer in the form of Granit Xhaka.It comes after the Swiss international has overseen a formidable campaign at the heart of Sunderland’s midfield.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYCasemiro preparing for an emotional Old Trafford goodbyeHeading into matchweek 36, Casemiro has just one home game remaining in United colours before he pulls the curtains on his four-year tenure.Want more Stretty News coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustHis departure brings a monumental task for INEOS in terms of replacing such a seasoned veteran, and it could well take more than one signing to stabilise the midfield in his absence, especially considering 21-year-old Kobbie Mainoo is the only other nailed-on starter in the position.The five-time Champions League winner, 34, has racked up 110 Premier League appearances since making the switch from Real Madrid in August 2022.At a glance: Xhaka’s statistics in comparison to CasemiroThrough his spells with Arsenal and the Black Cats, Xhaka’s account sits at a hefty 256 appearances across eight seasons.The pair also have a knack for finding the back of the net, too; Casemiro is currently rounding off his best-ever goalscoring campaign, with nine to his name in the league this term 26 overall in a United shirt (all competitions). Casemiro has scored 1️⃣1️⃣ headers in the Premier League. 8️⃣ of them have been this season! pic.twitter.com/YZhaYLkKVS — Premier League (@premierleague) April 28, 2026Xhaka, on the other hand, has returned a goal for Sunderland in his maiden season and 23 for the Gunners in all competitions. Player PL Appearances  Goals Assists Casemiro 110 15 7 Xhaka 256 18 30 Of course, it goes without saying that a move for the 33-year-old, who won the Bundesliga and two other major honours during his brief stint with Bayer Leverkusen, won’t be seen as a target for United.INEOS are keen to sign players they can rely on for the coming years, rather than those at the latter stages of their careers.What did Schmeichel have to say about the two experienced midfielders?Nonetheless, that didn’t stop Schmeichel from voicing his suggestion on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast.“I have one, maybe controversial in thinking, but I think we should go and sign Xhaka,” said the former shot-stopper.“I make my case: we are going to build a team around Kobbie. Casemiro is leaving. Bring in [Adam] Wharton and [Elliot] Anderson or whatever, who are still young. What we don’t have really is proper leadership. When I look and see what Xhaka has done at Sunderland, he is the reason why they are absolutely amazing.“His leadership qualities are great, he can play 80 per cent of the games, and he is a very good player. I know he can do it. If he does one or two years, we need leadership.”