Former Manchester United star Alan Smith believes Adam Wharton is a ‘natural’ substitute for Casemiro when the Brazilian leaves Old Trafford this summer.
United have an enormous rebuild job in midfield on their hands with Casemiro set to depart when his contract expires at the top of the season.
Signed from Real Madrid for £70million in the summertime of 2022, the 33-year-old has enjoyed an outstanding season at the center of midfield and can leave a gaping hole when he moves on this summer.
United were already targeting a minimum of one recent midfielder before the Brazilian confirmed his decision to go away Manchester having tried to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton at the top of the summer transfer window.
Interest stays within the Brighton star with Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson considered United’s top goal heading into the summer. Crystal Palace’s Wharton can be a player greatly admired at Old Trafford.
Replacing Casemiro will perhaps be crucial business United do that summer. Smith was once tasked with replacing one other hugely influential presence in midfield in Roy Keane, converted from a striker to an all-action midfielder by Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2005.
Kobbie Mainoo has thrived alongside Casemiro since Michael Carrick ended his exile from the first-team but Smith doesn’t see a situation arising where the England international is asked to drop into that deeper midfield role.
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As a substitute, the previous Leeds United star says Wharton may very well be the proper solution.
‘I could see him [Wharton] as a natural substitute,’ Smith told Metro via 666Casino.
‘I don’t think Kobbie Mainoo at this stage can be right, because whenever you’re in that position, you will have to be so disciplined to simply sit there and folks think it’s easy, but it surely’s not. Your temptation is to wish to go, to wish to go and challenge, but then in the event you get caught out, you’re all the time tracking back and in the event you see someone’s number and also you’re behind them, you’re in trouble because they’re attacking your goal within the mistaken position.
‘But I feel Adam Wharton, playing in certainly one of the deeper positions would probably be more suitable to that than Kobbie Mainoo at this moment in time.
‘Aside from Wharton, it’s difficult to see anybody else as a standout realistically at this moment in time. Obviously, age-wise, the youthfulness of the team and longevity he matches the bill. You’re someone who’s probably played over 150 games in English football now with Blackburn and Palace, so he understands it.
‘He’s played in Europe, played for England, he’s getting that have, having the ability to do this. So I feel like he’d be a very good candidate to have the opportunity to go in there and play.’
Rashford could still have Man Utd future
Marcus Rashford meanwhile has been having fun with a superb campaign in Spain with Barcelona with the Catalan giants prepared to make his loan move a everlasting one this summer.
Should he get the United job permanently, Carrick is considered keen to get Rashford back to Manchester.
While the England international appears to favour a clean break, Smith believes he could still have a future back in Manchester.
‘I feel that each one is determined by Marcus. He’s obviously adequate to play there, there’s little doubt about it,’ Smith said.
‘It’s just whether he desires to and whether he’s willing to. For whatever reason it broke down, but I feel like in the event you’re Michael Carrick and also you’re pondering next season I can get Marcus Rashford, it’s an amazing thing and as in the event you were signing him from someone to so that you’d think I’d like to bring him in, because he’s going to get your goals and he’s going to provide you the variety of play and attacking football.
‘I’m sure if Marcus Rashford wants to return back and play for Man United, I’m sure the manager would like to have him back.’
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