The pros far outweigh the cons as Man Utd close in on Casemiro
Manchester United's transfer policy for the most part this summer has been to find a name, and ultimately cross him off an exhaustive list before moving to another traget and doing the same. The only constant has been Frenkie de Jong, who is yet to be removed from the index of central midfielders.
De Jong, Vitinha, Adrien Rabiot; all have been linked with a summer move to United, yet nothing has materialised. That the transfer window closes in less than two weeks' time and that United are still scrambling for a central midfielder speaks volumes of the lack of organisation at Old Trafford.
That they came into the new season with Scott McTominay and Fred as the registered central midfielders is nothing short of embarrassing. What followed was a 2-1 home loss to Brighton before a 4-0 mauling at Brentford. On Monday night, they face Liverpool. The Ten Hag revolution hasn't made the start many had hoped, but then with the club so poorly run, that was to be expected.
Nevertheless, as we near the end of August, United are finally closing in on a central midfielder. Few would have foreseen Casemiro electing to switch Real Madrid for Manchester United, and yet as we approach the next round of Premier League fixtures, a deal has been all but confirmed. "I talked to (Casemiro) this morning. He wants to try a new challenge, a new opportunity. I and the club understand it," Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti confirmed on Friday afternoon.
It's a bitter pill to swallow for Real Madrid, with the move breaking up the Los Blancos 'Bermuda Triangle'. The triumvirate of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos has been recognised as one of the best in the modern era and deservedly so. The trio have started nine finals for Real Madrid together. The Spanish side have won all nine. In turn, though, this is a good deal for the La Liga champions.
As reliable as Casemiro has been for Real Madrid after breaking into the side in 2015/16, the Brazilian turns 31 next February and the club have already secured his long-term successor in Aurelien Tchouameni. To be recouping a significant chunk of the fee they paid Monaco for the Frenchman, and to be getting a high earner whose value is depreciating, off the books; the Spanish side can hardly complain.
Manchester United, though, are taking a huge risk on spending big on a 30-year-old. It's a path they have walked before having signed Bastien Schweinsteiger at the same age back in 2015, and the German struggled with the demands of Premier League football. That said, both Casemiro and Schweinsteiger are two different types of player, and you only have to look at Chelsea's decision to sign a then 30-year-old Claude Makelele from Real Madrid back in 2003 to see how successful bringing in an experienced ball winning midfielder from Los Blancos can prove to be.
That United are rumoured to be spending an initial €60m to sign Casemiro is a risk in itself, though, and in handing the player a four-year deal, with the option of a fifth, they have tied themselves into a lengthy deal for an all-action midfielder now the wrong side of 30. To have taken so long and approached different types of midfielders, too, suggests there was no plan in place to approach a specific player to operate in the middle of the park, and rather having been dire against both Brighton and Brentford, they have thrown a dart at a board and decided to pursue Casemiro.
Conversely, is that Casemiro is an impressive coup by United. The Brazilian's an immediate upgrade on both McTominay and Fred in both his reading of the game and his overall style in the middle of the park. Since the start of last season, Casemiro (68.1%) has a better tackle success rate than McTominay (67.3%) and Fred (52%), while the latter (2.5) has been dribbled past far more times per 90 than the former pair.
At long last, United will have some world class steel to protect the defence, which has been found wanting for far too long. Casemiro significantly bolsters a key area for United that has been in dire need of investment and with the experience garnered from winning countless trophies with Real Madrid, this can only be a good thing for the Premier League side.
From one viewpoint Casemiro makes for a poor signing given the age and investment in the player, yet most fans will agree that the levels in the midfield improve significantly with Casemiro in the ranks and while there may not have been a competent strategy in place to improve in the middle of the park, the Real Madrid sensation is one that supporters can get behind as the club seek to build on a poor start to 2022/23.
