Casemiro’s move to Manchester United is nearing completion after Carlo Ancelotti confirmed on Friday that the midfielder wants to leave Real Madrid.
“I talked to [Casemiro] this morning,” the Madrid head coach said. “He wants to try a new challenge, a new opportunity. I and the club understand it.
“With what he’s done at this club and the person he is, we have to respect it. There are talks right now, nothing is official, but he wants to leave.
“We wish him all the best in his next challenge.”
Losing one of, if not the best defensive midfielder in the world, would be a terrible blow for most clubs. At the very least, it would send many of them scrambling into the transfer market to find a replacement.
Not Madrid.
“Within the squad we have a replacement,” Ancelotti said. “[Aurélien] Tchouaméni has been signed for this position and at the moment he is one of the best midfielders on the market.
“There is also the option of [Toni] Kroos, who can play in this position, as he did the second year I was here. There is also [Eduardo] Camavinga.”
The midfield triumvirate of Casemiro, Kroos and Luka Modric has been exceptional for Madrid but with all three over 30, the club planned for the future by bringing in two of the top young midfielders in the world in Camavinga and Tchouaméni.
Manchester United didn’t have plan
In contrast, Manchester United has been scrambling to sign anyone and everyone possible as the transfer window enters its last two weeks.
After a disastrous start to the season, the Red Devils should, in theory, massively improve their central midfield with the addition of Casemiro.
But it will be costly.
reported fee and wages total 125m over Casemiro's age 30-33 seasons https://t.co/stZzs0QawU
— Michael Caley (@MC_of_A) August 18, 2022
The Brazilian will certainly help United, but his arrival is also a symptom of the club’s myopia.
Casemiro won’t hold any resale value. This is a win-now move for a team that still doesn’t appear to be in a great position to win a whole lot now.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, has been doing a lot of winning lately and even without Casemiro, that looks set to continue.
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