MANCHESTER UNITED SIGN CASEMIRO FROM REAL MADRID FOR £70 MILLION
Manchester United have signed Brazilian defensive midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid for a fee worth up to £70 million, the club confirmed Friday.
The fee is reported to be £70 million (€82 million) including a fixed fee of £60 million (€70 million), and £10 million (€12 million) in add-ons. Personal agreement details include a four-year deal with an option for a further season, keeping the 30-year-old in Manchester until at least June 2026. Although wage details were not disclosed, the contract is reported to put Casemiro amongst Manchester United’s highest earners and the 6’1” midfielder will be slated for higher earnings if he helps Manchester United get back to the Champions League.
Casemiro turned 30 in February and is still regarded to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. The €82 million fee paid for him by Manchester United is the second highest transfer fee for a player over 30 years old following Cristiano Ronaldo’s €100 million fee that Juventus paid for him in 2018. Casemiro will now join his former Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane at Manchester United during what is arguably the toughest period in the club’s history.
Bringing a wealth of experience to Manchester United, Casemiro has played in just over 500 professional games, including 63 at the international level for his native Brazil and scored 47 goals from his holding midfield position. He has also won 17 major honors including 5 Champions League titles, three La Liga titles, three Spanish Super Cups, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 3 FIFA Club World Cups, one Copa Del Rey and one Copa America with Brazil in 2019.
The Brazilian is a defensive nightmare for opposing teams and one of the most durable players in the game. The 30-year-old played 32 of Real Madrid’s 38 league games last season and helped guide the team to an impressive double of La Liga and the Champions League. He also led the Spanish league last season with the most ball recoveries (230) and had the third most touches at Real Madrid with 2,448. The two-time UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season player is an intelligent, aggressive and a high work-rate midfielder that is usually not afraid to go into challenges, attributes that United manager Erik Ten Hag will hope rub off on his new teammates.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed last week that Casemiro was set on pursuing a “new challenge.” He said on Friday: “I talked to [Casemiro] this morning. 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.”
Casemiro tweeted after the news of his transfer became official: “I have lived the most wonderful story that I ever thought. I hope to return one day to what will always be my home. Not in a thousand lifetimes will I be able to give back to Real Madrid and the Madridistas all that you have given me. Forever… Hala Madrid!”
It’s reported that Real Madrid will potentially look to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham to replace Casemiro. Bellingham was a high profile target for 2020/21 Champions League champions Chelsea and the 19-year-old Englishman is said to prefer the Spanish giants over the Blues.
The signing of Casemiro throws in major doubts the likelihood of the club finalizing the Frenkie de Jong transfer from Barcelona this summer. With reports coming a few weeks ago that both Barcelona and United had reached an agreement on £63.5 million (€75 million) for De Jong, conversation between the two clubs stalled due to De Jong’s reluctance to leave and a £14.5 million (€17 million) deferred wages debt that the Catalan club owes the Netherlands international. United will have to move swiftly before the September 1st transfer deadline if they still want to sign the 25-year-old and it would require a creative deal on the part of Manchester United to make it happen.
Casemiro landed in Manchester on Saturday morning and underwent a full medical at Carrington before the afternoon. He is expected to be in the stands for Monday night when United hosts long-time rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford as the club looks to rebound after two devastating defeats to Brighton and Brentford in the past two weeks.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Granada. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.