The comment that left Casemiro feeling ‘disrespected’ at Manchester United

Casemiro is leaving Manchester United at the end of the season, with the Brazilian feeling ‘disrespected’ by a comment from a senior figure at the club, according to reports.

The 34-year-old will depart on a free transfer in the summer, bringing to an end a four-year stay at Old Trafford.

It has not all been plain sailing for the midfielder, with a strong start to his time at the club, a notable dip in form, but then a resurgence of late.

The former Real Madrid man has been a fixture in the team under interim manager Michael Carrick, completing an impressive midfield trio with Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes.

Manchester United were keen to offload him in 2024 when his form was not so good, hoping to get his £350,000-a-week wages off their books.

He will now leave having regained a good level of performance, but having felt disrespected by minority owner Jim Ratcliffe, reports The Sun.

In a headline-grabbing interview in March 2025, Ratcliffe namechecked a number of Manchester United players as he vented his frustrations over the club still paying for deals done before INEOS invested.

Casemiro was one of the players he mentioned and while he did not specifically say this of the Brazilian, he said some players in the squad are not good enough and some overpaid.

‘If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying [Andre] Onana, we’re buying [Rasmus] Hojlund, we’re buying [Jadon] Sancho,’ Ratcliffe told the BBC in March last year. ‘These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.

‘For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17m to buy him in the summer.’

He added: ‘It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future.

‘Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time.

‘We’ve got this period of transformation where we move from the past to the future.

‘There are some great players in the squad as we know, the captain is a fabulous footballer. We definitely need Bruno, he’s a fantastic footballer.’

The Sun’s report states that Casemiro intends to continue his career in a top European league after leaving Manchester United.

The midfielder is expected to be in Brazil’s World Cup squad this summer and he is reportedly keen on a move to Italy for the first timein his career.

Explaining his decision to leave the club this year, Casemiro said last month: ‘I will carry Manchester United with me throughout my entire life.

‘From the first day that I walked out at this beautiful stadium, I felt the passion of Old Trafford and the love that I now share with our supporters for this special club.

‘It is not time to say goodbye; there are many more memories to create during the next four months.

‘We still have a lot to fight for together; my complete focus will, as always, remain on giving my everything to help our club to succeed.’