Following the 4-0 defeat to Brentford at the start of the season, Casemiro reportedly called Manchester United’s football director to reassure him that he could help the team turn things around.
Although United was having a bad run of form at the time, the Red Devils announced in the middle of August that a reported £70 million deal had been reached to acquire the Real Madrid player, a Brazil international.
In the first two Premier League games under Erik ten Hag, his team had suffered crushing defeats, first at home to Brighton and then on the road to Brentford.
At that point, Casemiro hadn’t signed anything, which prompted a lot of jeering from opposing supporters who suggested the 30-year-old might change his mind and back out of the transfer.
However, Casemiro’s actual response was the exact opposite; according to The Mirror, he watched the game from his Madrid home while talks were still going on.
The five-time Champions League champion immediately called John Murtough, United’s football director, who had been in charge of negotiations with both the player and Real Madrid, after the game.
But rather than admitting that he was concerned about the direction United was taking, he wanted to reassure him that he was even more eager to move to Old Trafford and could not wait to get started.
Money has never been a major consideration for Casemiro, who has been given a lucrative contract at United that is significantly better than what was on offer at the Bernabeu had he extended his contract. Instead, the Brazilian is driven to help his new team succeed after several trophyless seasons.
He had to wait six weeks before making his Premier League debut, but since then, he has been in excellent form, winning United’s Player of the Month award for October and most notably scoring a spectacular equalizer against Chelsea.
Ten Hag praised Casemiro for his performance in United’s most recent 1-0 Premier League victory over West Ham. The veteran midfielder was referred to as the “cement” in the midfield by the Dutchman.
