With the signing of Casemiro, Manchester United have finally signed the fabled but rarely seen defensive midfielder they have been missing for the last five years. It's understood that the midfielder will cost £60m + £10m in addons and will not be available for the club's game against Liverpool on Monday.
The deal isn't great; United have basically refunded the £85m that Real Madrid spent on Casemiro's replacement Aurelien Tchouameni this summer. He is also nearly 31 and joining on high wages over the course of a four-year deal, with the option for the club to extend his contract by a further year.
But while this deal doesn't really make sense in the long term, in the short-term United are getting an excellent player and Erik ten Hag is getting a destroyer in midfield who can help the team protect against transitions and win the ball back higher up the pitch. He is a signing that 'secures the floor rather than raises the ceiling.
