Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro for £60 million, with a further £10m possible in performance-related add-ons, but is he the player to save the club?
Casemiro, 30, is widely regarded to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the world and has won almost everything there is to win in Madrid after moving from Sao Paulo in 2013.
With just over 500 career appearances (and 47 goals) the Brazil international has lifted the Copa Sudamericana (2012) with Sao Paulo and a lot more trophies with Madrid, including; three LaLiga titles (2017, 2020, 2022); a Copa del Rey (2014); three Spanish Super Cups (2017, 2020, 2022); five UEFA Champions Leagues (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022); three UEFA Super Cups (2016, 2017, 2022); three FIFA Club World Cups (2016, 2017, 2018.)
With Brazil -- for whom he has made 63 senior caps -- he has won a Copa America (2019), as well as the South American U-17 Championship (2009), South American U-20 Championship (2011) and FIFA U-20 World Cup (2011) at youth level.
So what can Man United expect?
Position
Casemiro usually sits deep as the central pivot in front of the centre-backs in a 4-3-3 system. He can get forward to help his attacking players in a more box-to-box role but he is geared more to defence than attack.
The midfielder is one of the best at covering his teammates when they are out of position and can move into the full-back areas to stop attacks. He has been compared in style to legendary Real Madrid defensive midfielder Claude Makelele, though Casemiro's positional sense and determination mark him out as one of the best around.
Casemiro had some impressive stats among his Real Madrid peers last season, playing 32 of the club's 38 league games (5th=) on the way to winning a double of LaLiga and Champions League.
*Stats based on Primeira Liga 2021-22 only, vs. players with over 10 games
Touches: 2,448 (3rd at Real Madrid)
Pass accuracy: 86% (19th)
Recovery: 230 (1st)
Duels won: 57.6% (6th)
Tackles won: 44% (10th)
Chances created: 26 (9th)
Expected goals: 2.62 (8th)
Expected assists: 2.86 (8th)
Strengths
Casemiro's departure means Real Madrid lose one-third of their iconic Casemiro/Toni Kroos/Luka Modric midfield, three players who complemented each other perfectly and were fundamental in their recent Champions League wins. The Brazilian's role in that trio was well-defined as most defensive-minded of the three, protecting Madrid's defence, winning the ball back and providing a platform on which more attack-minded colleagues could flourish -- although he has shown a growing desire to get forward over the years, too.
Only five players, among them Barcelona's Sergio Busquets, had more ball recoveries than Casemiro (230) in LaLiga last season, and that's playing for a Madrid team which tends to dominate possession. His awareness is exceptional, and he can often be seen dropping back into defence to plug spaces or help out an out-of-position teammate. His pass completion rate is solid -- in LaLiga last year it was 86% -- but well behind someone like Kroos, who topped the charts in Spain with 94.9%.
Casemiro does score the occasional goal, especially from long range. His best ever tally in LaLiga was six goals back in 2020-21, while you might remember his spectacular strike against Juventus in the 2017 Champions League final. -- Alex Kirkland
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