Manchester United are reportedly looking at a replacement for current defensive midfielder Casemiro ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team are eyeing up players to bolster the club's midfield, and to take over from the £70m signing from Real Madrid in 2022.

The Brazil international, who FFC urged Erik ten Hag to drop after his 5/10 display against Liverpool, has been linked with an exit from Old Trafford this summer, as Ratcliffe looks to revitalise the squad.

A fresh report has now named one of the players the Red Devils have identified as a possible replacement for the Champions League winner this year.

Man Utd's interest in Brazilian brute

According to FootballTransfers, United have a 'concrete' interest in Fluminense defensive midfielder Andre ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the club have an interest in him and Wolverhampton Wanderers star Joao Neves, but they have yet to make an official bid for either of them.

It states that Wolves could demand a fee of at least €50m (£42.3m) for their midfielder, who has not received an offer from fellow Premier League side Arsenal contrary to reports elsewhere.

FootballTransfers claims that Andre is a more likely target for the Red Devils as they have a better chance of securing his services than they do with Gomes.

It states that the club were interested in signing the Brazilian ace as a replacement for Casemiro last summer, and that the English giants are now set to return with a swoop for him this year.

The outlet adds that a fee of around €30m (£25.6m) could be enough to get a deal over the line for the Fluminense star, although they claim that the Serie A side could demand closer to €40m (£34.2m) before eventually lowering their asking price.

Why Andre could be a good signing for Man Utd

The 22-year-old dynamo is a combative defensive midfielder who offers quality in and out of possession in the middle of the park, which is why he could be a good signing to replace Casemiro.

In the 2023 Serie A, Andre showcased his ability to make an impact on and off the ball with a duel success rate of 59% and a pass success rate of 95%, which shows that he is a dominant physical force in duels and is ultra-reliable with his passing.

Appearances

31

18

Pass accuracy

95%

83%

Key passes per game

0.6

0.7

Ball recoveries per game

6.9

5.1

Dribbled past per game

0.7

2.2

Duel success rate

59%

49%

As you can see in the table above, Casemiro has not had the same success in the Premier League as he has lost more than half of his duels and has only completed 83% of his attempted passes, which means that opponents find it easier to gain possession from him.

Andre, who ranked within the top 1% of Serie A midfielders for pass completion rate last year, was once hailed as "fierce" in the tackle by South American expert Tim Vickery, and his aforementioned success rate in individual battles backs that up.

It now remains to be seen whether or not United will follow up on their concrete interest in the 22-year-old starlet with a formal offer for his services.