With the summer transfer window rapidly approaching, Manchester United’s recruitment team is already working overtime to map out the next phase of their midfield rebuild.
It is an open secret at Old Trafford that the legendary Casemiro will be packing his bags when his current deal officially expires this June.
While the Brazilian veteran has enjoyed a stellar bounce-back campaign, United’s hierarchy is aggressively scoping out long-term successors.
According to Fogao, the Red Devils have officially made contact with Botafogo regarding their 25-year-old midfield dynamo, Danilo.
Midfielder has prior experience in the Premier League
If the name Danilo sounds familiar to Premier League fans, it absolutely should.
The energetic midfielder previously spent two-and-a-half years plying his trade with Nottingham Forest before returning to his native Brazil in the summer of 2025 for roughly £21.5 million.
Since pulling on the Botafogo shirt, Danilo has been absolutely electric. He has rapidly evolved from a traditional defensive shield into a dynamic, hybrid midfielder capable of breaking lines and joining the attack with purpose.
His sensational club form, racking up 10 goals and seven assists in nearly 40 appearances across all competitions, recently earned him a highly coveted call-up to the senior Brazil national team.
Naturally, this explosive rise has caught the attention of several European heavyweights.
Fulham, Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen, and Zenit St Petersburg are all reportedly hovering, meaning Man United will face incredibly stiff competition if they want to secure his signature.
Can Man United beat competition to sign the Brazilian?
Prying the 25-year-old away from Botafogo won’t be a simple task. Danilo is firmly locked into a contract that runs until June 2029.
The Brazilian club is acutely aware of his skyrocketing value and is completely unwilling to sell him to domestic rivals like Palmeiras or Flamengo, who have also expressed interest.
Instead, Botafogo’s preference is clear, they are holding out for a massive European payday, with expectations that they would accept an offer in the region of €40 million.
As Man United prepare to redefine their midfield structure without Casemiro, finding a successor who combines tactical discipline with Premier League experience is absolutely crucial.
If the Old Trafford hierarchy can move swiftly and beat out the massive crowd of European suitors, securing the reborn Brazilian could turn out to be their smartest business in a long time.
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To Manchester United, the most compelling midfield replacements for Casemiro and Ugarte are Éderson of Atalanta, Matheus Fernandes of West Ham, Sandro Tonali of Newcastle, and Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace. These midfielders possess exceptional physical presence, elite ball‑progression ability, and the capacity to dictate play with precise long‑range passing. Each of them can contribute creatively, control tempo, and score when needed—qualities United desperately require to rebuild the spine of the team.
In addition, Morgan Gibbs‑White should be pursued with absolute conviction. He is, in many ways, the English counterpart to Bruno Fernandes: relentlessly inventive, explosively quick, capable of beating defenders in tight spaces, and consistently dangerous in the final third. His creativity and dynamism would transform United’s attacking structure.
As for the forward line, two emerging talents deserve serious consideration: Maghnes Akliouche and Mika Godts. These young wingers are remarkably imaginative, capable of creating chances even from the narrowest angles, and possess the technical flair to unlock compact defenses. Their profiles align perfectly with the modern, fluid attacking style United should aspire to.
If United are serious about building a squad for the future—one defined by creativity, athleticism, and tactical intelligence—these players should be at the top of the recruitment agenda.