Erik ten Hag comments could spell the end of one Manchester United career amid transfer option

It wasn't the clip from Erik ten Hag's post-Liverpool press conference that went viral, but it might have been one of the more instructive answers as the Manchester United manager pondered Casemiro's future.

The press conference began with questions about the Brazilian midfielder amid claims he had left before the end of the game. That wasn't the case, Ten Hag said, but when he explained why he took the five-times Champions League winner off at the interval, he inadvertently signalled why Casemiro's days are numbered in the Premier League.

“We had to take risks because we want to bounce back, therefore you need players in midfield who can cover ground," Ten Hag said of the decision to replace him with Toby Collyer, a 20-year-old with 30 minutes of senior football to his name.

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It was a decision that felt like it pre-empted the end of Casemiro's days as a force at Old Trafford and that response from his manager only reaffirmed it. Yes, Ten Hag was talking in the context of chasing the game, but you have to ask why in the Premier League you would ever want to play a holding midfielder who isn't able to cover the ground, which is essentially what the Dutchman was saying.

It will be fascinating to see who starts in that role at Southampton after the international break. Ten Hag has already said Manuel Ugarte will need time to adapt and build up his fitness after a £42m move from Paris St-Germain (that was the Harry Potter answer). The 23-year-old is away with Uruguay during the break and while playing for his country could aid his match fitness, their match in Venezuela will