As impacts go, Casemiro has had a significant one at Manchester United.
The Brazilian international, following his big-money arrival from Real Madrid in August, has played an undisputed role in helping transform United's fortunes. Working alongside fellow summer recruit Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes in a new-look midfield, the 30-year-old has had an impact so impressive that some United supporters are already talking about how the Reds will go about the task of replacing him when the time comes.
Although everyone who watched United frequently last season knew that it was imperative that the club signed a world-class defensive-midfielder in the summer transfer window, the Reds, initially, had plans to bring Frenkie de Jong through the door. The Dutchman is a forward-thinking midfielder who would have added control and a progressive perception to the midfield.
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But after it became clear that United were getting nowhere with their pursuit of the Dutchman, they, despite the differences in their characteristics, earmarked Casemiro as the ideal alternative, snapping him up for an initial fee of £60million. Although he fitted the profile of the exact type of midfielder United needed, the club was heavily criticised for investing such an eye-watering amount of money in a player that had already celebrated his 30th birthday.
Nobody, however, is criticising United now. Casemiro has made an unimaginable impact, so much so that if there was an in-house award for Signing of the Summer at Old Trafford he would ease his way to it. The difference he has made to United, not just in midfield but as a whole, can only be described as staggering.
His ability to read the game, disrupt opposition attacks, pick a pass, long or short, and instigate United's own attacks is quite simply breathtaking. He is a Rolls Royce of a player and is simply a joy to watch.
Although he was signed, primarily, with the objective of adding bite and grit to United's midfield, he has also offered contributions in attack, too. He has scored twice for the club so far, his second goal arriving in Tuesday night's 3-0 win over Bournemouth, and registered two assists.
His forward play, particularly his wide variation of passes, has caught many United fans and pundits by surprise. But when you consider that he was a staple in Madrid's midfield for the best part of a decade, often playing alongside Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, it should not come as too great a surprise.
He enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Madrid, helping the Spanish giants win a total of 18 major honours, featuring five Champions League crowns. During that time, he played under six different managers, including the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti.
He also got the opportunity to work with Jose Mourinho during his time in the Spanish capital, albeit briefly. He was handed his Madrid debut by the former United boss in April 2013 and immediately captured his attention, so much so that the now-Roma boss gave him the ultimate compliment.
"[He told me] 'I know you, you are good, and you are going to be the best central midfielder in the world'," Casemiro told Cope, speaking back in 2018, recalling a conversation he'd had with Mourinho a few years earlier. "He gave me this confidence, I left the dressing room believing that I was Cristiano Ronaldo.
"With the energy that he gave me, I was left believing that he was the best in the world. The confidence and energy that he gave me was incredible."
Although Mourinho's admission was, as with any statement of its type, his opinion and not proven fact, Casemiro, since joining United, has certainly performed at a level that could see him considered as the best midfielder of his type in the world. There are very few, if any, that are better at doing what he does.
He is a world-class operator in the defensive-midfield berth, so much so that everything he seems to do on the pitch is effortless and majestic. He rarely appears to break a sweat, despite constantly being mobile.
United, of course, have had more misses than hits when it has come to perfecting the art of recruitment in recent years, but the decision to sign Casemiro ranks as one of their best in a very, very long time. He has ticked so many boxes and the supporters are loving every minute of it.
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