Manchester United are eyeing an audacious move to sign Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro, according to Spanish outlet Marca.
The Spanish outlet has claimed that United executives are already in Madrid but no official bid has been made to the Spanish giants. That said, the reigning La Liga and UEFA Champions League champions could be open to letting Casemiro leave because of how stacked their midfield currently is.
Man Utd have struggled to make in-roads this summer with deals for Frenkie de Jong and Antony hitting dead ends. The former does not want to leave Barcelona and United have failed to convince him on a personal front despite reaching an agreement with Barca weeks ago. Moreover, recent reports have claimed that United have withdrawn their offer for De Jong. The latter on the other hand is open to joining United but Ajax are playing hardball in negotiations.
So far Erik ten Hag has only managed to add Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, and Lisandro Martinez to his ranks but it is clear that his side needs immediate reinforcements, having made a horrendous start to the new campaign. Manchester United are currently at the bottom of the table having registered losses against Brighton and Brentford, conceding six goals in total.
Negotiations for Adrien Rabiot are well advanced with the French midfielder said to be open to a move to Old Trafford, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Our View
Frenkie de Jong has been the number one target for ten Hag this summer. The player has always been clear on his part about wanting to stay out in Spain and now that the transfer window is nearing its end, Man Utd are beginning to scramble for options.
Casemiro is an exciting option and is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt so he should be a lot cheaper than de Jong. However, it is highly unlikely that Madrid would want to part ways with the 30-year-old, especially after he made 48 appearances for them across all competitions last term. The South American was a key reason why Madrid enjoyed a treble-winning season.
Casemiro is a ball-winning midfielder who is not only physical but also highly tactical. He commits into his tackles and ends up getting booked for it more often than not but he is a constant thorn for the opposition whenever they look to break free. The holding midfielder has the skills required to succeed in the Premier League but it is difficult to see him make a move to England at this stage of his career.
