Ruben Amorim's Casemiro reaction speaks volumes before Cristiano Ronaldo contract decider

Manchester United boss has made it clear that he's a huge fan of , who's in for a massive pay rise if they win the final. Casemiro, 33, as they came from behind to beat 4-1 in their semi-final second leg on Thursday.

Now the Red Devils have the chance to win the competition and in turn qualify for next season's . Playing in Europe's elite competition - but it would also cost them.

Mirror Football reported last week that should the Red Devils beat in Spain on Wednesday, May 21, , taking his weekly earnings to a cool £500,000. That's amount which United agreed to pay when he returned to the club in 2021.

Casemiro's salary has been at the centre of speculation over his future, with co-owner keen to lower the wage budget at Old Trafford and reportedly identifying the Brazilian as . But Amorim's opinion could weigh heavily, as the Red Devils boss appears to love working with Casemiro.

Having scored the goal which put United 2-1 up against Bilbao, the former stalwart was immediately substituted and Amorim gave him a big hug to congratulate his performance, prompting a huge cheer from the crowd. Casemiro also and was decisive with two assists at home to during last month.

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The international has gone from a much-maligned figure during final months in charge to a key player for Amorim. The pair didn't click instantly, though, as Casemiro only started one of the Red Devils' 14 games between mid-December and the start of February, playing a possible 136 minutes out of a potential 1,290 minutes.

Asked why he wasn't playing as regularly, Amorim gave a brutal response. "We know that Casemiro nowadays has other qualities," the United manager told . He's intelligent, understands the game and knows where the ball is going to be.

"We are in a league where there is a big intensity difference. Therefore I feel our team needs players with high intensity and sometimes we don't have them."

Will Manchester United win the Europa League final? Give us your prediction in the .

Things have changed in terms of his playing time, although Casemiro is still up for sale - much like the rest of United's squad. Their looming bottom-half finish in the can't be ignored and the 33-year-old was part of a midfield which was dominated by Bilbao's for the first 70 minutes on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia has been mooted as the likely destination, with Ronaldo's reportedly keen. But could the riches of Saudi Arabian tempt him away?

"I have one-and-a-half years left on my contract and I would like to finish it here in Manchester," Casemiro told in February. "I am comfortable here and so is my family. They have adapted, we speak English. I'm very grateful to the fans at Old Trafford and to the club. I am happy at club level. Happy on the bench? Of course not. That's something else."

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