Manchester United might have already found their Casemiro replacement

Casemiro was the hero in Erik ten Hag’s first Wembley triumph at Manchester United. Little over a year later, he was hardly missed when they defeated Man City under the Wembley arch.

The Brazilian was a fitness risk heading into the match, with Willy Kambwala’s place in the travelling party a clear sign that there was a late concern heading into the FA Cup final.

When the team sheet had him listed on the bench, there was little surprise, and even when it transpired he was missing altogether, there was little commotion caused.

Casemiro’s final season will taint an otherwise impressive spell at the club, with the Brazilian expected to leave in the summer, regardless of what happens with the managerial situation.

Yet he does deserve sympathy. At a time when so many of his peers were missing, he often stayed fit, and sacrificed himself for the greater good of the team by playing in central defence when it quite clearly didn’t suit his style at all. United have prioritised the signing of another defensive midfielder this summer, yet the reason they did not miss Casemiro in the FA Cup final is because Sofyan Amrabat performed so admirably in his absence.

The Moroccan was written off throughout the majority of his loan spell at the club, but produced an excellent string of performances in the closing stages of the season, capped with a masterclass against Man City. If he can perform that well in a game of that magnitude, then surely he can play a role next season as well. It could be argued the caveat to his poor performances was the fact he was playing in such a dysfunctional and unsettled side and by the end of the campaign, his output improved when injured players returned and he was utilised in his preferred position.

The issue is that we are now full circle. Amrabat’s hype was forged after a freakish run at the 2022 World Cup and now his stock has risen after equally freakish form at the end of a campaign in which he was largely terrible. Just as relevant as his masterclass last weekend was the dire substitute appearance against Man City in March, in which he gifted them their winning goal.

But given the transfer needs of United this summer, there is still a compelling argument to back Amrabat. With an option to buy him for just £21.4 million, there are few other options who offer quite as much bang for the buck, and after a turbulent debut season, he might well have settled by the end of it.

That is the dilemma Ineos must strive to solve in the coming weeks, and just with their decision on Ten Hag, it will be based on performances over the course of the entire season, rather than the emotion of recent revisionism. If they are looking for someone to replace Casemiro, they must consider the man who did it for the last month of the season.