Anshuman Joshi
Casemiro admits he almost didn’t make Man United move
Casemiro has revealed in a recent interview to El Chiringuito de Jugones, as reported and quoted by Metro, that he almost did not make the move to Man United in the summer of 2022.
The Brazil international arrived at Old Trafford on the back of a £70m move and played a crucial role in helping Erik ten Hag win the Carabao Cup and secure top-four finish in his first season in England.
The veteran defensive midfielder has revealed in the interview that, when he went to see his former manager Carlo Ancelotti to say his farewells, he was almost moved to change his mind.
‘I went to talk to the Mister [Ancelotti] because I was supposed to train but I couldn’t train [because the transfer was imminent]. People knew the transfer was done but I still had to be there.
‘And so I go to talk to Ancelotti and he already knew I was leaving. I entered his office and when he turned around I saw he was crying. Ancelotti was crying.
‘And I am thinking, “Why are you crying? No, you can’t be crying”. And Carlo told me that he didn’t want me to leave and that he loved me very much… and in that moment I doubted [the move] and realised how many people loved me here.
‘But I had already committed to it, I had given my word [to Manchester United] and my word is more important that anything. But that was the one moment.’
Casemiro on his last meeting with Ancelotti, as quoted by Mirror
In the interview, Casemiro also insisted that he was very happy in England despite having an underwhelming second season.
‘Very good, phenomenal. Everything is going very well, everything is perfect.
‘The Premier League is incredible, it is very nice to play in. My family’s adaption [sic] is also going well. Everything is great.’
An offer neither Real Madrid nor Casemiro could refuse
Just like Man United did not plan to buy Casemiro at the start of the 2022/23 season, Real Madrid did not plan to sell him.
Casemiro is not of a profile Ten Hag wants in his defensive midfielder, as has been evident from his pursuit of Frenkie de Jong. Real Madrid, on the other hand, would have preferred the Brazilian to remain at the Santiago Bernabéu to help ease the newly-arrived youngsters Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga (now also Jude Bellingham) into the first team, taking up senior player duties alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić.
In United’s desperation, however, both Real Madrid and Casemiro received an opportunity they could not ignore. Los Blancos received a transfer fee they could never have anticipated for an ageing player, while Casemiro received a salary package (he’s currently United’s high-paid player) he would not have expected for the same reason.
Casemiro played a defining role in his first season in England, helping Ten Hag end United’s trophy drought. Real Madrid’s youngsters, as it has turned out, didn’t need much support from the senior figures and have proved more than capable of taking up the first-team duties, meaning the move turned out fine for everyone for the time being.
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Of course, this season has been disappointing for many at United, and Casemiro cannot be singled out for that being the case. He may still have a part to play at Old Trafford for the next few seasons, but United would be wise to not ignore any offers that come from the Middle East for his signature, as has been reported.
