€70m rip-off? Casemiro doesn’t play finals, he WINS them

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 26 Feb 2023 18:32 GMT
• 4 min read

A number of eyebrows were raised in the closing days of last summer’s transfer window when Manchester United splashed out €70 million to sign Casemiro.

This was a huge sum of money for a player who was due to turn 31 in the new year in February.

The critics argued that Man Utd were signing another formerly great player whose best days were behind him, just as they had done before with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

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And the same critics shouted even louder when Casemiro barely featured in the opening weeks of the season.

The midfielder did not even start a Premier League game until October, with Scott McTominay initially preferred.

But once Casemiro did finally get his chance from the first whistle in the 2-1 win at Everton on October 9, he has been a colossus.

He has brought all of his experience, quality and winning mentality to a Man Utd side that had not won a trophy of any kind since 2017.

This was highlighted perfectly on Sunday during Man Utd’s Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle.

Casemiro rose highest to head in Luke Shaw’s free kick and put Man Utd ahead on 33 minutes.

Until then, Newcastle had been the better side but Casemiro is a proven winner with a capital W. He doesn’t play finals, he wins them.

Casemiro born to win finals

This is a player who claimed five Champions Leagues and won 10 other finals while at Real Madrid. FIFTEEN finals won in total in Madrid. He lost only one.

He has only had to wait another six months to play in his first final with Man Utd, and of course he won that too.

His influence on this Man Utd side is undeniable.

In the 13 Premier League games he has started, Man Utd have lost only one.

Sometimes derided as merely a destroyer or water-carrier, Casemiro has contributed massively from an offensive point of view. He now has five goals and five assists this season, figures that most attacking midfielders and even some wide players would be happy with.

The Brazilian has helped transform United into a trophy-winning side again and they could also yet have their say in this season’s Premier League title race.

Third-placed United will only be three points behind Man City if they win their game in hand. While they remain eight points behind leaders Arsenal, the inexperience and youth of the Gunners means that Erik ten Hag’s men can’t be ruled out.

United are favourites to win the Europa League this season too after beating Barcelona on Thursday, and they are in the fifth round of the FA Cup at home to West Ham.

Plenty more potential finals and trophies for Casemiro to win.