Revealing Casemiro's Manchester United contract extension clause: one condition can secure a £350,000 weekly wage! Selling Zirkzee may already be decided

Following Manchester United's home win against Manchester City, 33-year-old Casemiro jumped enthusiastically onto coach Carrick's back, celebrating joyfully. He was officially awarded man of the match. Starting again in this derby, he edged nearer to triggering his one-year priority renewal clause. However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada, and sporting director Jason Wilcox in the stands might not be pleased, as the automatic extension would maintain his current top salary of £350,000 per week!

According to "Jingji Net," Manchester United's contract with Casemiro stipulates that once he starts a certain number of matches this season across all competitions, the contract will automatically extend to 2027, preserving his current salary. The threshold is reportedly 35 starts, and so far, "Fat Tiger" has started 19 matches, all in the Premier League.

In the League Cup match where Manchester United was eliminated by League Two side Grimsby, Casemiro remained on the bench; and in the FA Cup loss to Brighton, he was rested.

In the Premier League, Casemiro missed two matches due to suspension against Brentford and Aston Villa. The Brazilian star was banned respectively for a red card received against Chelsea and accumulating five yellow cards, missing both games, which the team lost. In the first Premier League round away at Manchester City, he appeared as a substitute.

If Casemiro starts all remaining 16 Premier League matches, he will meet the extension condition. This season, the Red Devils have a maximum of 40 matches, and Casemiro’s participation rate highlights his importance. He has scored four goals, yet the £350,000 weekly wage remains unacceptable to Ratcliffe and Elliott. Even without Champions League qualification this season, his weekly pay is still close to £300,000.

When Ratcliffe took over Manchester United in December 2023, he openly criticized the club’s decision to spend £60 million on Casemiro from Real Madrid and sign him to a four-year high-salary deal. If Casemiro automatically extends and United return to the Champions League, the club must prepare an £18 million wage budget. Insiders insist it is highly unlikely Casemiro will renew for one year at his current salary. As long as he is used even once as a substitute, the condition cannot be fulfilled.

Manchester United can also choose to activate the extension clause themselves or negotiate a new contract with lower wages, but there is currently no indication that Ratcliffe’s team will pursue either option. Approaching his 34th birthday, Casemiro is unlikely to accept a £150,000 weekly wage, only one-third of his current earnings, making a summer departure highly probable.

Another Manchester United player with a high chance of leaving this year is striker Zirkzee. He missed the 2-0 derby win over Manchester City. Italian media claim he is boycotting training to force a transfer to Serie A’s Roma, but British media report Manchester United’s explanation is that Zirkzee is sidelined with a muscle injury.

The injury claim holds some credibility because after last week’s FA Cup match against Brighton, the 24-year-old Dutch forward limped as he left Old Trafford. However, Carrick and Manchester United did not mention any injury before the match, which is unusual.

It is widely believed that tensions between Zirkzee and Manchester United do exist, and his desire to return to Italy is factual. In the Manchester derby, the €85 million striker Shescko was benched, signaling an even tougher future for Zirkzee, who is almost certainly going to miss the Dutch squad for this summer’s World Cup.

It is reported that Zirkzee may have already played his final match for Manchester United, with the club likely to approve his transfer request at the winter window’s last moment. After the Manchester derby, Zirkzee posted a photo of himself celebrating the victory on the stands with compatriots De Ligt and goalkeeper Tom Heaton, accompanied by a swear word.