Life after Casemiro: Four traits INEOS cannot afford to get wrong at Man United

Manchester United have already confirmed that Casemiro will leave the club at the end of this season.

The Brazilian has produced several commanding performances this season, rolling back the years with his reading of the game and big-match temperament.

At the age of 34, Casemiro has entered the twilight of his career and may not have the engine to succeed in another intense Premier League campaign.

The onus is on INEOS to find a perfect replacement for the veteran midfielder.

Here are four non-negotiable qualities the club must prioritise in their next holding midfielder.

Aggression but positionally disciplined

United need a midfielder who relishes duels, presses with intent and protects the back four with authority.

Manuel Ugarte ticks these boxes, but his positional indiscipline makes him a liability.

A perfect holding midfielder knows when to step out and when to hold his zone. Casemiro’s successor must combine bite in tackles with positional maturity rather than diving into reckless challenges.

Goal-scoring threat

Modern holding midfielders cannot afford to be one-dimensional. Casemiro regularly chipped in with crucial goals, especially from set-pieces.

The United stalwart has netted five times in each of his four campaigns at Old Trafford.

Arsenal have shown this season how important it is to spread goals within the squad. United must treat this trait as an important one.

Vertical passes from deep

Casemiro is a risk-taker. The ideal replacement must be comfortable receiving under pressure and breaking lines with progressive and vertical passes.

Any future United midfielder should not merely recycle possession sideways.

Accelerating play when opportunities arise and switching the flank quickly to release wingers should be a known quality of his game.

Elite winning mentality

This is arguably the toughest trait to replace when Casemiro leaves.

Despite being a fifth-choice midfielder at the start of the Ruben Amorim era, Casemiro worked intensively and fought his way back into the starting line-up.

The five-time Champions League winner has the experience of playing in the biggest games.

United are likely to replace him with a younger midfielder who may not have that experience, but the club cannot compromise on the winning mentality and training work ethic.

Bonus Point

If there has been one visible drawback to Casemiro’s game this season, it has been his declining ability to cover ground with speed and sustained intensity.

Modern Premier League midfields demand mobility, recovery pace and the stamina to press relentlessly for 90 minutes.

United must recruit a powerhouse who can run every blade of grass, dominate transitions and inject energy into the heart of the team.

That athletic presence would also grant Kobbie Mainoo greater attacking freedom, allowing him to operate higher up the pitch.

Stats from Fotmob.com

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .