Explained: How Casemiro can automatically earn new Man Utd contract as details of clause emerge

Brazil international Casemiro had been a key player under Ruben Amorim this season and has largely started whenever available for the Red Devils, starting 18 Premier League games this term and only finding himself coming off the bench once, in the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City in September.

He has also served two one-match suspensions in the Premier League, while he did not start in either of United’s cup matches this term as they were dumped out of both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup at the first hurdle by Brighton & Hove Albion and Grimsby Town respectively.

Due to United’s lack of European involvement, Casemiro will face a challenge to reach the required number of starts to earn his automatic contract extension, though it is still possible for him to achieve it.

Reporting by The Athletic states that Casemiro will need to start 35 matches this campaign in order to earn an automatic one-year extension to his United contract. 

Having already started 18 in all competitions, he is still 17 off the target – which is the exact number of matches the Red Devils have left this season, as they only have the Premier League left to compete in. Casemiro will, therefore, need to start every league match under newly-appointed head coach Michael Carrick in order to earn his contract extension at Old Trafford.

Reporting continues that although United can still choose to trigger a one-year extension for the 33-year-old even if he does not reach the required number of starts, it would not be an automatic extension in that case and there is ‘no indication’ at this stage that they will do either that or negotiate a new deal at a lower wage. Casemiro’s future could, therefore, depend on whether he is chosen to play a central role under Carrick.

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Casemiro signed for United in 2022 for an initial £60million ($80.7m) from Real Madrid, where he had won the Champions League five times. The potential £10m worth of add-ons included in the move are unlikely to be realised due to the Red Devils’ failure to win either of the Premier League or the Champions League during his time at the club, it is believed.

The veteran midfielder initially agreed to a deal worth £350,000 ($468,000) per week, though this has now fallen to below £300,000 due to United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, in cuts which are the ‘standard’ across the squad.

Should United qualify for the Champions League this season and Casemiro starts every match between now and the season finale away at Brighton, the Brazilian would reportedly see his wage go back up to its original figure, earning him more than £18m ($24m) for the final year of his deal.

Casemiro’s future at Old Trafford appears to be on a knife-edge and the player will be aware that he will need to perform to his highest standards for the remainder of the season to ensure that he makes enough starts to earn the automatic one-year extension in his deal.

A requirement of 35 starts in a season is an undeniably large number, particularly in the context where the Red Devils did not qualify for European football for this season and will play just 40 matches across all competitions - their lowest total since 1914-15.

United begin a new era against local rivals Man City at Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime (12:30pm GMT) and Casemiro will aim to earn his place in the Red Devils side and prove his worthiness of being at the centre of new boss Carrick’s plans for the rest of the season.