Manchester United have had a horrific start to the new campaign, as they lost the two opening Premier League matches. Losses to Brighton and Brentford were not only painful and shows of staggering mediocrity at Old Trafford, but they also left the Red Devils sitting at the bottom of the league standings. Such results were not as huge surprises, considering we have seen many shameful results from this team last season, both under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. But now, with Erik ten Hag at the helm, everyone expected immediate upturn and changes which would make fans happy.
Instead, the fans are preparing a protest against the Glazer family and are ready to walk out of the Monday night derby against Liverpool. And what did Glazer do to try and mitigate that? They signed a great footballing name past his peak to try to conceal everything, as Casemiro has joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in a move that many did not expect. United paid 70 million pounds to Real Madrid for the 30-year-old defensive midfielder who has won five Champions League trophies between 2014 and 2022. He will be expected to bring instant quality to this team, but will he actually change anything?
Man United now possess three former Real Madrid players which won three consecutive Champions League trophies under Zinedine Zidane, from 2014 to 2016. The other two are Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane. But what is striking is that all three of them are past their peak. It could be argued that Casemiro is coming to Man United closest to his peak, since at 30, there could be expectations of a couple more seasons at the very high level. But ultimately, what this move boils down to is the fact that Casemiro joined United for economic reasons first, not the sporting ones.
Because why would anyone swap the European champions for a club struggling as much as United have been since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013? Even Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was dumbfounded with such turn of events. Casemiro decided to get a great contract in the later stage of his career and there is nothing wrong with that. But having in mind just how many problems there are at United, it would be no surprise if the Brazilian midfielder blends in into the mediocricy of Man United. Because he is still just one player, however good he might be. United have huge structural problems both on and off the pitch and this move could only be a small patch over a huge wound.
Hopefully, Casemiro will be able to make an impact with his combativeness, discipline and sheer quality. But we have seen so many players come to Man United and struggle in recent years. This move feels like an overpaid transfer, giving an aging player massive wages to lure him, and then having the prerequisites to struggle to offload him few years down the line. It is this overpaying that makes it hard for United to sell players afterwards. Casemiro could be just another such player in a whole bunch. But before we get there, let’s see what he can bring to this crooked table.
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