Man Utd flop makes transfer U-turn as exit deal collapses after £70m star ‘changed his mind’

Casemiro’s move to Galatasaray is now dead in the water after the Manchester United man ‘changed his mind’ over a loan move to Turkey.

After enjoying a bright debut season in England, it’s fair to say that Casemiro has struggled to justify his lofty £70m price tag over the last 12 months.

The 32-year-old has endured a troublesome start to the 2024/25 campaign and he’s been linked with an exit from Old Trafford all summer long.

While most clubs are no longer able to sign players, Turkish sides can bring players in until September 13 and Galatasaray had been working on a loan deal to sign Casemiro.

However, according to Football Insider , the Brazilian rejected the loan move on Thursday despite ‘initially’ agreeing to join the Turkish giants.

The 32-year-old reportedly ‘changed his mind’ at the eleventh hour and is now set to stay in England, with the Turkish transfer window set to close soon.

The arrival of Manuel Ugarte from PSG will ease the burden on Casemiro and Erik ten Hag will be hopeful that the Brazilian can rediscover some form between now and January.

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Some pundits think Casemiro can still come good

While plenty of fans and ex-pros have been highly critical of Casemiro over the last 12 months, former Chelsea and Arsenal defender William Gallas thinks some of the criticism has been ‘too harsh’.

Jamie Carragher in particular has been vocal about the Brazilian’s struggles, but Gallas believes the former Real Madrid star could still come good.

“Jamie Carragher is too harsh on Casemiro,” Gallas said via The Mirror . “Casemiro is in a bad moment and maybe he’ll end up leaving Manchester United, but he might enjoy his football again if he was to return to Spain for example.

“He’s only 32 so he’s nowhere near retirement; I think he’s got another five or six years before retirement. The big question over Casemiro is, is he happy in Manchester?

“In my opinion, his body language suggests that he isn’t happy living there. He is making so many more mistakes than when he was at Real Madrid, when he lived with a great lifestyle and sunshine.

“Now he is in Manchester and it’s cold and raining and it can be difficult for some players off the pitch. He’s from Brazil and then lived in Spain and it’s not like he just jumped across the border from France where the weather is similar. It’s not always easy.”

Man Utd still looking at midfield options

While Casemiro appears to be staying put in Manchester, that hasn’t deterred Ten Hag’s side from scouring the market for midfield alternatives.

Indeed, former Juventus star Adrien Rabiot is still a free agent and Man Utd are one of the Premier League clubs who are considering swooping in for him.

However, the stumbling block regarding Rabiot relates to his wage demands. The 29-year-old is reportedly looking for a weekly salary of £220,000 per week which has already deterred a number of clubs.

Elsewhere, Man Utd are still keeping tabs on PSG’s Xavi Simons who could be made available for a permanent transfer in 2025.

The dynamic playmaker will spend the 2024/24 campaign on loan with RB Leipzig, but he is keen on a permanent switch to the Premier League next summer.

Another playmaker being tracked by Man Utd scouts is Dinamo Zagreb’s Martin Baturina who has been dubbed as the ‘next Luka Modric’. However, the Red Devils will face some serious competition to land his signature.

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Casemiro’s mixed journey at Man Utd

Casemiro signed for Man Utd from Real Madrid in August 2022 for a deal worth £60m, plus an additional £10m in add-ons.

The Brazilian has a huge amount of experience having won 18 major trophies during his time at the Bernabeu. He is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation but has found his transition to life in the Premier League difficult.

People seem to have forgotten that Casemiro began his Man Utd career well. Six months into his time at Old Trafford, the Red Devils had won 79.4% of the games Casemiro played, versus just 42.9% of the matches without him.

However, Casemiro has undoubtedly declined since. After a decent start to the 2023/24 campaign, he was sidelined for three months by two consecutive injuries.

He’s never looked the same since and after a few major blunders last season, Carragher memorably described him as ‘finished’ in top level football.

Casemiro was forced to play out-of-position as a centre-back towards the end of last term due to Man Utd’s injury woes and unsurprisingly, struggled.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was keen to offload the £350,000 per week midfielder this summer , but despite their attempts to send him to Galatasaray on loan, he’s set to stick around in Manchester for the time being.