Several clubs in Saudi Arabia are reportedly “keeping an eye” on Casemiro’s situation at Manchester United, as the midfielder considers a departure from Old Trafford in the January transfer window. The 32-year-old has had difficulty getting playing time under Ruben Amorim, who took over as United’s head coach in November after Erik ten Hag. Casemiro actually started his first Premier League match in six games during their 2-0 home loss to Newcastle on Monday, after having played only 27 minutes in the previous five matches. There have been discussions about the possibility of the Brazilian leaving United during the winter transfer window. According to a report from UOL, Casemiro has ‘consented’ to depart from United, and the Public Investment Fund, which owns multiple clubs including the Saudi teams Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr, and Al-Hilal, is ‘set on’ acquiring the defensive midfielder. Journalist Ben Jacobs has now shared a new update regarding Casemiro’s future and the interest from the Saudi Premier League. He states that the main issue for many Saudi clubs is that they have reached their limit on foreign players, which means they must either sell or deregister some players for league matches to make any new signings. For instance, Al-Ahli is looking for a holding midfielder, but to acquire Casemiro, they would need to release or deregister at least one of their nine non-Saudi players. Ivan Toney, Roberto Firmino, and Riyad Mahrez are currently playing for Al-Ahli, along with other former Premier League players. Al-Ittihad, another team in the Saudi Pro League, reportedly made the strongest inquiry over the summer, while Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsiah are also said to have interest. Casemiro may leave in January, but ex-United player Kleberson mentioned in November that Casemiro was improving and believed he had a future with Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford. “Casemiro is the player who embraces pressure; he knows how to manage it,” he told the Metro. “Some people may get frustrated with him or the media, and the press might try to bring him down, but he remains consistent and continues to play to the best of his abilities.” You witnessed him score two goals against Leicester City; for his second goal, he won the header and still showed the determination to pursue the next ball. “I believe he is improving.” Whenever a season ends, there are rumors that Casemiro needs to leave United, suggesting he should move to Saudi Arabia or return to Brazil, but he is still able to play.
