Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
United would have pushed the button sooner on Casemiro had Ten Hag not hung on as long as he did for De Jong. So long, in fact, that it was only in a big recruitment meeting in the days before the Brentford game that the decision was taken to finally abandon the pursuit of the Barcelona midfielder, park interest in the likes of Adrien Rabiot and land Casemiro. I’m surprised, I have to be honest,” Peter Schmeichel, the Old Trafford goalkeeping great, said at the time. “Because Casemiro hasn’t been mentioned at all through the window. Also, if you are No 6 for Manchester United, you are supposed to drive and take part in the game. The club have already won a trophy and we’ve clinched third place in the Premier League and now we’re in this final,” Casemiro says. “So, whenever you talk about long-term projects, which this is, it’s normal for it to take time for a manager’s mentality, his philosophy to be taken on board, but I believe we’re more comfortable now. If a garlanded footballer who claimed five Champions Leagues at his previous club, Real Madrid, raised an eyebrow at his manager’s selection that day he is too professional to mention it. Instead, Casemiro talks loudest where it matters most: on the pitch, as in February’s Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle, heading the opener in a 2-0 triumph that secured Ten Hag the first trophy of his tenure and which, alongside a third-place finish, moves Casemiro to praise the manager’s impact in his opening season.
Casemiro scores for Manchester United against Reading in the FA Cup. He has four goals and five assists. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images If anything, the debacle appeared only to deepen his desire to move to Old Trafford and this notion of Casemiro having become “fixated” on the transfer, as one source put it, was reaffirmed when a United delegation flew to Madrid a few days later to seal the deal. Casemiro with the Champions League trophy last May – the fifth he won with Real Madrid. Photograph: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images When I arrived here, and it was down to the language I was fortunate Bruno would help me a great deal,” Casemiro says. “He was always brilliant, and taught me lots about the club. I have a very good relationship with Bruno, we get on really well. United are a different team without Casemiro. When he has been in the team, they have conceded 0.91 goals per game in the Premier League; when he has been absent that figure has shot up to 1.5. With an actual plan in place, United have enjoyed a progressive campaign under Ten Hag. The question now is how they build for next season.At United, Casemiro has continued to see the devil in the detail, his match preparation heavy on studying the opposing players, their strengths and weaknesses, their statistics. He also finds out the referee’s name and a bit about him so that he can make a connection, one which may work for him and the team. Casemiro congratulates Bruno Fernandes after he scored against Fulham in United’s last game of the Premier League season. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images Underdogs Real Betis find themselves in a much worse predicament, although Pellegrini is unlikely to rotate in light of the looming suspensions. Defensive trio German Pezzella, Luiz Filipe and Aitar Ruibal are all one yellow card away from serving one-match bans, as is former Manchester City and Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. The likes of Casemiro and fellow summer signing Lisandro Martínez have been central to restoring that bond between players and supporters after the disconnect last season. That was probably never better encapsulated than at Stamford Bridge in October when Casemiro’s dramatic 94th minute equaliser sparked wild scenes of celebration. Now 30, the only disappointment for supporters is they have had to wait until this stage of Casemiro’s career to finally see a midfielder of that calibre in a red shirt.
He has been having regular English lessons both inside and out the club and considers improving his grasp of the language his greatest urgency. That dedication is starting to pay off. Staff have been impressed by his knowledge of United’s history and, while he is a particular fan of Paul Scholes, he has enjoyed chatting about Eric Cantona and Roy Keane. Of all his current team-mates, Marcus Rashford is said to have stood out for him and he believes the England striker could become one of the world’s best. Does he ever lose it? He has his moments, although he can’t speak to some players because he can’t really speak in English. As a leader, he knows when he has to be a little bit tough and when he has to be more composed.”What have so impressed the staff at United are Casemiro’s hunger and professionalism. Is he sated by his five Champions Leagues plus 13 other honours at Real, including three La Liga titles? Absolutely not. Casemiro wanted to take on a new challenge, feeling that his cycle at the Bernabéu was over, and it says plenty that he went for a total change in a new country with a different language and football culture. Of course, your morale drops and it’s boosted when you score six in victory [but] we beat them at home and as I’ve said, each game is completely different but losing in that way is tough for you. But, when you do lose like that, the most important game is the next one which you need to win and get three points from.” These are the basic principles. Beyond that, people want you to score goals, to pass, get the team playing because football’s changed. In the past it would be the No 10 that would be required to do that. I saw an interview with [Juan Román] Riquelme [the Argentinian playmaker] once talking about central defensive midfielders and specifically [Sergio] Busquets. Casemiro wants more and it is another line from his unveiling interview that has come to linger. “I have a lot of ambition to win,” he said. “If next year we don’t win the Premier League or the Champions League, I will be sad and angry.”
When it became clear that United would not get De Jong, and the truth was that he could not have been clearer from the outset about not wanting to move, the club sounded out Adrien Rabiot at Juventus. Then, bang, they got Casemiro. It’s a club with great history, I will have to work hard to make a name for myself because there, I have won nothing yet. At Manchester United, first of all, what I want is to transmit the way I feel about the club, my respect. Roméo Lavia, who should be available now Southampton have been relegated, is another option, though United would face competition for the Belgian from a number of Premier League suitors. The 19-year-old is one for the present and the future. There are other players in the mix who could add some bite to midfield, notably Palhinha, Edson Álvarez of Ajax, and Marcel Sabitzer, who has spent the second half of the season on loan at United.With a potential third ban this term in mind, Casemiro could be given a much-needed rest on Thursday. However, that'd mean Ten Hag would be risking his absence in later rounds, such as next Thursday's second leg, as players are only given a clean slate at the beginning of the semi-final stage. Lisandro Martínez and Casemiro celebrate after winning the League Cup final. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian In midfield, cover for Casemiro is also of the utmost importance. United were fragile during his suspensions this season, so it’s no surprise to see the club linked with a move for Adrien Rabiot. The France international, who is out of contract at Juventus next month, was rumoured to be on United’s radar last summer and he could be a decent fit to ease the burden on Casemiro. The victory he cites over the City juggernaut of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and company is January’s 2-1 Premier League return at Old Trafford. The 31-year-old was in the XI then but at the Etihad had been only a 59th-minute substitute , when United were 4-1 behind, Erik ten Hag preferring Scott McTominay in central midfield. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{
Nor is he interested in complaints about the Manchester weather, reminding himself that his life now is far removed from the days when he was grateful just to have a roof over his head growing up in Sao Paulo. United fans knew that Casemiro would bring the aggression along with his positional sense and reading of the game, to see the danger before it unfolds. The pleasant surprise has been what he has done in possession. There was the feeling in Madrid that he was a pure No 6 because of who he played with – Luka Modic and Toni Kroos. He sacrificed himself in pursuit of a platform for them. But Casemiro is much more than a mere enabler.
He studies his opponents and their strengths and weaknesses in detail before games and is a huge football fan who will generally watch a game a day, which is surprisingly uncommon for modern day players. Some of the older academy players have been overwhelmed by the time he affords them. The Manchester United Foundation say much the same. I spoke to my wife and she said I look like an 18-year-old kid who is super excited about his new project and I do feel so excited about playing in the Premier League,” Casemiro said during an emotional farewell ceremony. Casemiro is such an important player, he’s been in big places and how you see him on the pitch is the way he is off it – just a really calm guy,” Fernandes says. “He doesn’t speak English really well yet but in the way of football, the way he can communicate with his teammates, he speaks really well. It has taken a while and it took a little longer still when Ten Hag eased him into the lineup, waiting six weeks before giving him his first league start. That was at Everton on 9 October in the 2-1 win and Casemiro has since been on the losing team only once. His complete United record reads: W25 D4 L3. Schmeichel was only saying what many people thought, what many United fans feared. They have seen their club overpay too often for players who have not worked out. The deal had red flags everywhere. Casemiro has taken each one, surgically dissected it and thrown the pieces into the wind.
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