"One more year Casemiro" is the chant from Manchester United fans right now but unfortunately for them, the Brazilian is not set to grant their wish.

If you told those at Old Trafford a few years ago they'd be sad to see him leave, you'd have been laughed at. Yet, the resurgence of this great midfield player has been phenomenal.

He has scored nine goals this season, more than any other campaign in his career. That's not his primary role in the team, but it's abundantly clear that he will leave a huge hole to fill at both ends of the pitch.

So, with Michael Carrick bound for the permanent managerial role at United, how does he go about replacing the former Real Madrid man? It won't be easy.

Man United's main options to replace Casemiro

United's shortlist to replace the Brazilian this summer is more of a long list. It contains expensive options, it contains middling options and it also contains a few cheaper players.

That sounds about right considering it's likely that Jason Wilcox and Co will bring in more than one midfielder this summer. Indeed, Manuel Ugarte is also set to head for the departures lounge.

Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali are the two big-money names, priced roughly around £100m each. At a slightly lower cost is £80m-rated Carlos Baleba and Aurelien Tchouameni.

In the cheaper category sits Atalanta's Ederson. In all honesty, it would not be a surprise if that move gets done. Some reports even claim he's already agreed a five-year contract with the Red Devils.

It would appear that Ederson is not the only midfielder trying to drive his agent towards getting him a move to United.

According to TEAMtalk, the club are ramping up their plans to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United and have already begun talks with the player's representatives over a prospective move this summer.

Fernandes is said to be 'extremely keen' on heading to Old Trafford, a feeling that is mutual between all parties. United would love to make him one of their first signings when the window opens.

That said, West Ham value the Portuguese midfielder at around £80m, cheaper than Anderson but not by much.

Why Anderson wipes the floor with Baleba and Mainoo

A year ago, Baleba was the man. The Cameroon international had enjoyed a simply fantastic 2024/25 season with Brighton and reportedly agreed personal terms with United.

Yet, in 2025/26, his numbers have regressed significantly, leading supporters and potentially even the recruitors at Old Trafford to think twice about pushing forward with a move.

Fernandes, however, would represent a clear upgrade. Forget about his miss at the weekend when David Raya somehow kept him out, this is one of the best midfielders in the division and he's ready to star for a better club. Any move, of course, would be made easier if and when the Hammers are relegated.

The best way to describe the 21-year-old is that he is something of a Declan Rice clone, and that's not just because they both made their mark at West Ham.

The pair of them eat up ground like very few players in the Premier League do. The two best players in the English top-flight in that regard this season are Rice and Fernandes. No other players have a higher ratio of progressive carry distance to turnover per carry.

What does that mean? Well, essentially, it's how much forward ground a player gains with dribbles and carries before losing the ball.

Furthermore, they are on par for ball recoveries. While Anderson tops the list for most games (10) with over ten possession recoveries this term, Rice and Fernandes have both reached that landmark on three occasions.

While Baleba actually registers more recoveries per 90 minutes at 5.6, in every other area Fernandes wipes the floor with him. As it happens, he's better than United's midfielder shuttler in chief, Kobbie Mainoo, too.

In the metrics important for their position on the pitch, it's clear to see why the Irons star dominates. Sure, West Ham are forced to defend more, but he's winning far more duels per 90 minutes and the way he carries the ball forward is again highlighted.

While he completes the same number of take-ons per match as Mainoo, his success rate is far higher. It's why Fernandes is comparable to Rice.

The longer time goes on, the poorer a signing Baleba would be. Fernandes would not come in and immediately replace Mainoo, particularly if they sign two midfielders but he'd be better than Brighton's midfield general and a greater player than Casemiro.

As impressive as the Brazilian has been in 2025/26, his legs and energy have deserted him and they need someone who's more progressive. Fernandes ticks that box and then some.