Casemiro makes final transfer decision on Man Utd exit as Carlo Ancelotti role emerges

Casemiro has been attracting interest from Saudi Arabia for the past 18 months as United have been looking to trim their huge wage bill – but he’s set to stay at Old Trafford

Big-earning Brazilian midfielder Casemiro is set to stay at Manchester United next season after being offered a World Cup lifeline by Carlo Ancelotti.

Casemiro, who collects a cool £350,000-a-week, was handed a shock recall by his country when his former Real Madrid boss named his first Brazil squad earlier this month.

And with the 33-year-old now targeting the finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States next summer, he believes his chances of playing in a third World Cup will be enhanced by staying in the Premier League. Casemiro has been attracting interest from Saudi Arabia for the past 18 months as United have been looking to trim their huge wage bill.

But he worked his way back into manager Ruben Amorim’s plans towards the end of the season and was rewarded when new Brazil coach Ancelotti ended his two-year international absence by bringing him into his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay.

Casemiro played the full 90 minutes in both games as Brazil collected four points to move up to third place in the South American qualifying table.

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Ancelotti managed Casemiro at the Bernabeu and didn’t agree with the decision to sell him to United in a £70million deal three years ago.

The Italian believes the five-time Champions League winner can be a big dressing room influence for him during his first crack at international management.

Casemiro has one year left on his United contract, although the Reds have an option to trigger a 12-month extension. He impressed Amorim with his attitude during the final few months of a traumatic season, but United will not stand in his way if the Brazilian decided to cash in by moving to Saudi.

Casemiro has continually insisted that he is happy in Manchester despite interest from Al-Nassr, the big-spending club that has just handed Cristiano Ronaldo a two-year contract worth almost £500 million.

The Brazilian is a close friend of the 40-year-old Portuguese after they played together at Madrid. And he posted a picture of him wearing a pair of £7,000 LED recovery boots manufactured by a company partly owned by Ronaldo on his Instagram account during the week.

United are looking for buyers for a raft of players who are surplus to requirements under Amorim as they try to raise money to finance a rebuild.

Wing trio Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony are all in the shop window, but the Reds’ hopes that Inter Milan would follow up an enquiry for misfiring £72 million striker Rasmus Hojlund with a bid for the Danish international.

Inter targeted two new strikers after finishing second in serie A and then being hammered by Paris St Germain in the Champions League final.

But they have spent £20 million on Parma’s Ange-Yoan Bonny and are ready to give teenager Francesco Pio Esposito more game-time after he capped a fine performance against River Plate in the Club World Cup with his first goal for the club.

That would close the door on a permanent move for Hojlund, although Inter could still offer a 12-month loan option with an obligation to buy.

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