“Casemiro shines and Manchester United plans major signings.”

While Manchester United celebrated a crucial victory against Brentford, Fabrizio Romano dropped a major bombshell in the transfer market, updating fans on the club’s search for a midfielder to replace Casemiro. This match not only highlighted the importance of the Brazilian in the team but also made it clear that the summer transfer window will be decisive for the future of the Red Devils’ midfield.

Casemiro was not only the hero of the night by scoring the opening goal, his ninth of the season in what is already the best scoring campaign of his career, but he also dominated the game in every aspect. With an impressive seven passes into the opposition’s area, two touches in the opponent’s penalty area, and one accurate long pass, the Brazilian midfielder showed why he is one of the team’s cornerstones. His defensive performance was equally overwhelming: 11 tackles, nine clearances, five headed clearances, two interceptions, two recoveries, and one block. He won 13 of 14 duels on the field and three of four in the air, victories that earned him the highest rating of the match from Fotmob and the official Man of the Match title from the Premier League.

Replacing a legend like Casemiro will be a Herculean task for United, which may need more than one signing to maintain competitiveness in midfield next season. The young Kobbie Mainoo, at just 21 years old, shone and nearly won the Player of the Year award, greatly benefiting from the experience and learning alongside the five-time Champions League winner.

In the race for a replacement, the Old Trafford club has three targets in sight: Carlos Baleba, Elliot Anderson, and Sandro Tonali. In a surprising development, Romano revealed on the ‘Here We Go’ podcast that Manchester City is having “positive contract talks” with Elliot Anderson and has a “big offer planned” for the midfielder. However, United is determined not to give ground and is preparing for a real battle with their direct rivals.

Sandro Tonali remains a solid option on the list, but his high cost could be a decisive factor for United’s management, which aims to avoid “crazy spending” in this transfer window.

The battle for the midfield at Manchester United is far from resolved, and this saga promises to be one of the hottest of the summer, with intense rivalries and crucial financial decisions for the Red Devils to remain competitive in the Premier League and in Europe. Fans can expect days of great excitement and twists in the transfer market.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.