Erik ten Hag wants to keep Casemiro and Raphael Varane at Manchester United despite reports suggesting they were up for sale.
Both men are currently out of favour at Old Trafford, which is reflected by their time on the pitch. The ex-Real Madrid pair are high earners but Varane is 30 with Casemiro one year his senior and there is a sense that their best days could now be behind them.
Ten Hag is under pressure with his team underperforming in the Premier League and already out of Europe. He's not been afraid of taking on major names and it was reported that he wanted to make a statement by offloading Varane, Casemiro or both if the right offers came in. Jadon Sancho's departure is still very much on the cards.
Now though, ESPN report that Ten Hag wants to retain the services of both Casemiro and Varane and believes they can play an important role. His stance would only change should either player push for a move away from Manchester, but that doesn't appear to be on the cards.
Varane, who had fallen down the defensive pecking order, was restored to the starting XI at Anfield last time out and helped United battle to a draw as they kept a clean sheet. The Frenchman was a regular last season alongside Lisandro Martinez.
Casemiro was another standout last term as United ended their trophy drought with Carabao Cup success. The Brazilian scored in that win at Wembley and defied the doubts about his age. This campaign though his performances have dipped with injury sidelining him.
United's Chief operating officer Collette Roche gave an insight into the club's January plans as she told the Fans Forum last week: "Looking ahead to the January transfer window, we are not expecting it to be particularly busy. There will always be the possibility of deals around the edges of the squad, particularly in terms of finding opportunities for players who are not playing as much football as they would like.
"However, we’ve always been consistent in saying that we do not see January as the optimal time to do business and our recruitment strategy remains focused on summer windows.
"We’ve seen this season that Financial Fair Play rules have real teeth, so we have to be very careful to ensure that we remain compliant, and we will. But that means being really disciplined on spending going forward, with a balance between incomings and outgoings."