Man Utd's Contract Curse Strikes Again? Why Casemiro Can't Be the Next Martial or Rojo

Picture this: Casemiro bosses midfield, bags his seventh Premier League goal in a gritty 3-1 win over Aston Villa, and suddenly the Old Trafford faithful are chanting for a new deal. The 32-year-old Brazilian's been a rock under Michael Carrick, but hold your horses, Reds. History screams 'no' louder than a Glazer outcry at ticket prices.

As Football365 cheekily notes, the Manchester United of yesteryear would've slapped a three-year extension on him with double wages by now. But let's not repeat the mistakes that turned contract time into comedy hour. With Casemiro's current deal expiring this summer – and United holding a one-year option they've seemingly waved goodbye to – calls to twist his arm are growing. Former Blackburn and Chelsea striker Chris Sutton isn't buying it, though.

The Casemiro Conundrum: Sentiment or Sense?

Casemiro announced his Old Trafford exit earlier this year, eyeing a fresh challenge. Fans, ex-players and pundits have piped up post his recent form, wondering if United should beg him to stay. Sutton, on BBC Radio Five Live, dismissed it as 'sentimental guff'.

"I don’t really get the debate," he said. Under Ruben Amorim, Casemiro looked exposed, but Carrick's tweaks have lifted him – and the team. At 34 by summer, is one more year worth the risk? Sutton thinks not, and United's past suggests he's spot on.

The club has form for bungling renewals, even ignoring the mega deals to David De Gea and Marcus Rashford. Remember when they panicked over expiring contracts, 'protecting assets' that turned into liabilities? Here's the hall of shame, five prime examples of red flags ignored.

United's Hall of Contract Shame

Anthony Martial: Mourinho's Nightmare

Jose Mourinho begged to ship out Martial in his final Old Trafford summer. The Frenchman had pull with the Glazers and bean-counters spotting 'world-class' vibes. Instead of cashing in, they triggered an option and handed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a four-and-a-half-year pact worth £100k a week.

Year one sparkled; the rest? A £1m-per-month headache. TEAMtalk's Subhankar Mondal highlights how Mourinho's instincts were bang on.

Marcos Rojo: Limping to the Ink

Mourinho greenlit Rojo's renewal in 2018, but the Argie rocked up hobbling. Wild on the pitch, wilder with injuries – just 13 appearances in two years post-deal. Loaned to Estudiantes, then Boca Juniors nabbed him cheap. Airfare costs covered? Doubt it.

Phil Jones: Asset or Albatross?

February 2019, Solskjaer fever gripped United. Jones, never cracking 30 league games a season, got four-and-a-half years at £100k weekly. 13 more top-flight outings followed. Fergie's old hype about him becoming a legend? Yeah, about that...

Eric Bailly: Rojo 2.0

Ed Woodward doubled down in April 2021 with Bailly – occasionally brilliant, mostly crocked. 37 league games in four prior years, then an extra three (with option). Eight more apps, loans to Marseille, free to Fenerbahce. Classic.

Nani: Post-Fergie Fiasco

David Moyes, a month into his reign, locked Nani into five years despite meagre starts in Fergie's last hurrah. Moyes gushed about training ethic. Reality: 12 more league games, loan to Sporting (full wages paid), then Fenerbahce bailout.

Time to Break the Cycle

These tales aren't ancient history; they're warnings. Casemiro's class is undoubted, but at his age, one strong month doesn't erase the injury roulette or form dips. Sutton nails it – sentiment over strategy is United's Achilles' heel.

As The Peoples Person via OneFootball reports, the debate rages, but smart money's on letting him bow out a hero. United need youth, not yet another 'what were they thinking?' extension. Fancy a pint while we toast better decisions ahead?