Casemiro had a significant influence during his first season at Manchester United, but the seasoned midfielder has not been able to match his dominant play this season.
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The 32-year-old Brazil international, who swiftly became one of United’s most important players last season, has recently appeared to be a shell of his former self and was shockingly off the pace in Saturday’s humiliating 3-1 home loss to Brighton.
Rio Ferdinand, an Old Trafford favourite, was among the pundits who voiced concerns about the £70 million transfer fee that Manchester United paid for Casemiro a year ago. Others questioned whether the midfielder would be adaptable enough or motivated enough to play a significant role in Erik ten Hag’s ambitious rebuilding plan.
Although Casemiro may not have lived up to expectations this season, the former Real Madrid great is facing severe criticism. Casemiro is one person who still has a lot of credit available to him in the bank.
The audacious call from Casemiro
Given that Casemiro had spent nearly a decade at Real Madrid, where he had experienced success, it would have been reasonable for him to have turned down interest from Manchester United after seeing them get destroyed by Brentford in August of last year.
Instead, the multiple Champions League victor picked up the phone and hung up on Manchester United’s management, saying he was eager to start at a team in desperate need of quality reinforcements.
Any scepticism regarding Casemiro’s desire to succeed with a new team after winning it all in Madrid was swiftly dispelled.
Kroos’ enraged response following exit
Real Madrid may have happily pocketed the £70 million United paid for Casemiro, but it was not a unanimous decision to sell their main enforcer.
Casemiro’s teammate Toni Kroos first expressed his frustration with the transfer by saying: “The Premier League has not won an international title this year.” Since years, England has had much more television revenue, but this hasn’t translated into English teams consistently winning. Thank God, some athletes also consider winning in addition to their pay.
Following his jab, Kroos addressed his position on Spanish television’s Universo Valdano, where he voiced his grief over Casemiro’s choice to leave the Bernabeu and suggested the midfielder still had a lot to give the country’s top teams.
“I was surprised by Casemiro’s departure,” he continued. While it is true that the rumours began two days prior, there are frequently no developments despite the fact that there are frequently many rumours. But when he informed me, I felt sad because I started to think back on all the years I had spent with him and the victories we had shared.
Clear leaving stance from Casemiro
While Casemiro may have played the fool this season, it is important to keep in mind that other clubs were interested in signing him for a transfer during his first campaign at Old Trafford.
In light of Casemiro’s strong performances for United, it was previously claimed that Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel was interested in investigating a transfer for the Brazilian.
But Casemiro’s team swiftly made it obvious that their player had no intention of leaving and was committed to winning championships at Old Trafford. This loyalty shouldn’t be downplayed, especially in light of the influx of high-profile professionals drawn to the Middle East by the lucrative contracts offered by the Saudi Pro League this summer.
