Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday that Casemiro wanted a “new challenge”. Well, he is certainly getting one hell of a challenge at Old Trafford.
And perhaps Ancelotti’s “new challenge” is a euphemism for “new pay packet”, because the Brazilian’s salary boost is rumoured to be eye-wateringly considerable. Further, a four-year contract - with the option for a fifth - is an extremely generous commitment from Manchester United to a 30-year-old player.
But those painting this transfer as some sort of desperate act are, for once, being unduly harsh on United. This is a player in the prime of his career, with 63 caps for Brazil and a key component of Real Madrid’s recent successes.
While Thibaut Courtois was an obvious choice for man of the match in this year’s Champions League final, there could have been no major protest had it gone to Casemiro. With his tireless defensive midfield work, he was as much an influence as any player on that night in Paris. And as for age, 30 is the new 20.
Just look at Karim Benzema, at Cristiano Ronaldo, at Lionel Messi, at Robert Lewandowski. Mohamed Salah has recently turned 30 and is getting better and better. The idea that 30 is some watershed age in football has long been consigned to the waste bin. Casemiro might have seven more years of top-flight excellence in him. Sure, there is unlikely to be any sell-on value, but surely the idea is that United will never be looking to sell him on.
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United are paying around £60million on a transfer fee and goodness knows how much in wages for a blue-chip midfielder who they hope will be the bedrock of their revival over the next half-decade. It seems that United might have happened upon Casemiro move by accident rather than design, having been linked with a move for the far less accomplished Adrien Rabiot, amongst others. And Real Madrid’s relaxed attitude to his departure suggests they think Casemiro’s prime days might be behind him - or, at least, that they have had the best out for him.
Whatever the case, they were clearly not going to turn down that much money for a player for whom they already have plenty of replacement options. But Casemiro remains a bona fide elite midfielder, the like of which Manchester United have been lacking. Let’s face it, Casemiro’s arrival means the axis of Fred and Scott McTominay will finally be broken and - with respect to a couple of dedicated professionals - that moment could not have come quickly enough.
No new recruits come with a guarantee and had the obvious pursuit of Frenkie de Jong been successful, it is doubtful Casemiro would also be arriving. But never mind how they got there, Manchester United have made what looks like a very, very good signing. So give them a break.
