Man United handed new £26m transfer priority after nightmare Champions League update

Manchester United have had little to shout about this season and the Premier League will undoubtedly get worse before it gets any better.

Head coach Ruben Amorim has already declared that the Europa League is the sole focus for United now and that has certainly been proven this week. United were at their devastating best in the Basque Country on Thursday night as they won 3-0 and, even against ten men, they were full value for their victory.

Amorim then chose a weakened XI to face Brentford which showed as they fell to a 4-3 defeat in the capital. One player to be rested after a confident night in Bilbao was Casemiro.

In the Europa League, the Brazilian has shown glimpses of the player who dominated in his first season at Old Trafford. His performance against Athletic Bilbao was impressive and has made things interesting regarding his future.

Before his exceptional performances in the Europa League, Casemiro seemed destined to depart with his bloated wage of £350,000 per week seen as too much for United to accommodate. But, he has shown glimpses of why he can still be an asset for the club.

However in a report in The Mirror, United have been shown why, if they win the Europa League, selling Casemiro must be a priority. It is claimed that a clause in the Brazilian's contract means that his wage will increase by £150,000 per week if United are playing Champions League football next season.

To put this into perspective, that would put Casemiro on the same wage as Cristiano Ronaldo was on during his second spell at United. Perhaps more staggering, that would be an extra player's salary going straight to the 33-year-old.

Our colleagues at Chronicle Live reported this week that United summer transfer target Liam Delap would be demanding a wage of between £120,000 and £150,000 per week. Now, the Ipswich Town striker would be a risk but he is a calculated risk and could ultimately prove to be the future of this club's attack.

Casemiro, as much as he has improved as the season has worn on, is not the future. With a reported yearly salary of £26m, if United reach the Champions League, Casemiro would simply be too expensive to keep around - particularly considering his output.

As a priority, United should be looking to sell Casemiro if this is the case. Otherwise, even with the Champions League bounty, they could struggle to properly mould this squad in Amorim's image.

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