Man Utd 'target' responds to Casemiro comments after being tipped to succeed midfielder

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Ahead of Brazil's opening match at World Cup 2026 , Bruno Guimaraes has expressed his pride at being touted as Casemiro's heir. Manchester United have been linked with a £69million swoop for the Newcastle captain , who could inherit Casemiro's position at both club and international level.

The Selecao kick off their World Cup campaign against Morocco on Saturday evening, with both midfielders in the frame to start. This summer's tournament in North America is likely to mark Casemiro's World Cup swansong, after which his Magpies counterpart is expected to take up the mantle in earnest.

Guimaraes feels privileged simply to be mentioned in the same breath as his compatriot given everything he has accomplished in the game. And there may be no better candidate for Michael Carrick to plug the void left by Casemiro's summer departure.

"It's certainly a privilege to hear those words from someone as successful as Casemiro," Guimaraes told AS ahead of Brazil's World Cup opener. "Honestly, I'm not thinking about that right now.

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"My focus is entirely on this World Cup. It was a dream for me to be in good shape for a World Cup and my aim is to help Brazil win this title. I'm always ready to help."

Guimaraes, 28, is one of several midfielders being linked with United in their search for reinforcements. The South American appears to fall within the club's financial parameters after United reportedly refused to enter a bidding war for £120m-rated Elliot Anderson .

West Ham's Mateus Fernandes and Bournemouth's Alex Scott are also said to feature on that shortlist. Furthermore, United are already poised to finalise a £39m deal for Atalanta's Ederson, who could be reunited with a familiar face should Guimaraes arrive as well.

It was back in October 2023 that Casemiro first publicly expressed his admiration for international colleague Guimaraes. While the duo may not get the opportunity to play alongside each other at club level, it was evident even then just how highly he rated his compatriot as a player.

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"Bruno Guimaraes is a player who has been doing an exceptional job at Newcastle ," said the five-time Champions League winner. "With every practice and every game, I am more comfortable with him. He is a great player. He has been demonstrating this in the most difficult league in the world ."

Guimaraes' Newcastle colleague Sandro Tonali is another name that has been connected with United in recent months. However, Arsenal's reported interest in the Italian could make that a challenging prospect in itself.

Newcastle would rather hold onto their captain of the last two seasons but the club's fragile financial situation leaves them with limited options. Eddie Howe's side missed out on European qualification after a 12th-place Premier League finish and are understood to require player sales to stabilise their finances.

Casemiro has already reportedly assisted United with one transfer acquisition after endorsing Ederson as a significant talent before his own exit . He may yet see another of his World Cup colleagues help facilitate his departure from Old Trafford following glowing recommendations.