CASEMIRO’S HANDSHAKE is as tight as a vice and, in his first season, he tightened up the Manchester United midfield.
He is certain to receive an appreciative send-off at Old Trafford in May for that first campaign alone. Without him, United would not have qualified for the Champions League.
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Ratcliffe has been running football operations at United for two yearsCredit: Alamy
Ratcliffe at the Manchester derby last weekCredit: PA
The circumstances surrounding Casemiro’s arrival in 2022 did not bode well: a £70million late August deal for a Real Madrid great whose time was up at the Bernabeu.
United were crying out for a defensive midfielder yet spent almost the entire summer pursuing Frenkie de Jong.
On the night Casemiro was unveiled at Old Trafford, he shook hands with Roy Keane, who looked close to starstruck.
Casemiro scored the winner in the 2023 League Cup final to end United’s trophy drought and chipped in with vital goals against Chelsea and Bournemouth.
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After years sandwiched between Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, he demonstrated his passing prowess. The defensive-minded Casemiro was an attacking asset.
Beyond his first season in Manchester, Casemiro was heroic in United’s remarkable recovery against Lyon in the Europa League last year.
His contribution should not be overlooked in the 2024 FA Cup run, either. Casemiro got the only goal in the fifth round at Nottingham Forest and he selflessly started at centre half in the FA Cup semi-final epic with Coventry City amid an injury crisis.
Ultimately, United did not get their money’s worth for an up-front £60m signing who was on a four-year, £350,000-a-week contract.
Casemiro is not responsible for the finances of his signing and his commitment to the cause has been unwavering, unlike another Madrid player who moved to Manchester (Angel di Maria).
Casemiro’s time is nearly upCredit: Getty
But he peaked in his first season. After Casemiro was dropped for the 2024 FA Cup final, his working relationship with Erik ten Hag was effectively irreparable.
Casemiro still had two years remaining on his contract and was practically unsellable, so he was always bound to see out his United contract. No club was ever prepared to pay a fee and match his salary.
If Jason Wilcox had triggered the one-year extension in Casemiro’s deal, he should have been sacked quicker than Ruben Amorim was after his Elland Road outburst.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe named Casemiro among the five players that his regime had “inherited” last year.
The other four were Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund, Antony and Jadon Sancho. All five are either going or are gone.
With a sizeable sum off the wage bill, United will invest in a major midfield addition, with a No.6 their priority this summer.
Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte are the only two out-and-out central midfielders United have bought since Fred in June 2018. They need two this summer alone.
Bruno Fernandes has already hinted he may call time on his Old Trafford career after the World Cup, Ugarte has not passed muster and United have to tie down Kobbie Mainoo on a new long-term contract.
Premier League-proven pedigree is United’s preference in the transfer market and it has largely served them well with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Alex Scott and Elliot Anderson are among the midfield targets United are trackingCredit: Getty
England trio Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Alex Scott are all of interest and United enquired about Brighton enforcer Carlos Baleba in the summer.
United have made the most of being saddled with Casemiro for two more years after they sounded out Saudi Pro League clubs.
Casemiro did not play during the near entirety of the winter transfer window last year. That was not a coincidence.
Ten Hag and former United football director John Murtough played Casemiro the odd hospital pass.
Ten Hag and Casemiro had an uneasy final five months togetherCredit: AFP
At the start of his second season, he was paired with Mason Mount in a midfield mismatch that lasted two games.
Things quickly unravelled, Casemiro was out injured for three months and Ten Hag’s loose tactics exposed a player who was previously the best in his position.
Fred Caldeira, the Brazilian journalist based in Manchester who knows Casemiro, said Ten Hag “decided to play tennis without a net”. Figures at United likened Ten Hag’s recklessness to basketball.
At one point, Casemiro was behind Toby Collyer in the midfield pecking order, a fact Amorim repeated in press conferences.
Collyer recently returned from a loan at West BromCredit: Getty
It is to Casemiro’s credit he rallied and won over Amorim. Ugarte, recruited to replace Casemiro, has rarely looked capable and that has always offered Casemiro a route back in.
Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 suited Casemiro as he had an extra centre back to provide cover. How he fares now that United have reverted to a back four will be key to their Champions League qualifying chances.
Michael Carrick recalled Casemiro for the Manchester derby last week and he was named the man of the match. That was extreme but Casemiro can still cut it when there is one game per week.
United uploaded a four-minute video of Casemiro’s highlights on Thursday. It is a good go at portraying Casemiro as a success when his signing was one more of excess.
But tightening the purse strings is not an option when it comes to his replacement.
