Casemiro, after deliberating with Carlo Ancelotti, has made up his mind. He’s leaving Real Madrid and joining Manchester United. Say what you will about this deal, and yes, United are vastly overpaying for the 30-year-old Brazilian, but he fills their top need of defensive midfield.
And his base transfer fee, of about 51m GBP is still cheaper than what they paid Shakthar Donetsk for Fred. Details of the Casemiro deal are below, via transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
Casemiro to Man United, here we go! Real Madrid accepted all details of the bid, clubs preparing contracts right now. €60m fixed fee, €10m add-ons ???? #MUFC
Casemiro has full agreement on four year deal, option until 2027.
Medical and then visa to be sorted during weekend. pic.twitter.com/tiuAdkCR81
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 19, 2022
It is indeed Here We Go time, and as an added bonus, we never have to talk about the Frenkie de Jong transfer saga again. This deal finally puts to rest the most annoyingly tedious transfer saga in recent memory.
Ancelloti confirmed the news earlier today.
“I talked about it with [Casemiro] this morning,” Ancelotti said at a press conference today ahead of Madrid’s weekend La Liga clash at Celta Vigo.
“He wants to try a new challenge, a new opportunity. The club and I understand it. Casemiro — with what he’s done at this club, and with the person he is — we have to respect this desire he has. There are negotiations right now. Nothing is official, he’s still a Real Madrid player, but he wants to leave. If he goes and reaches an agreement, we have the resources to replace him.”
Ancelotti said he did not try to convince Casemiro to stay.
“I just listened to him,” the accomplished Italian mastermind stated.
Real Madrid have given Casemiro permission to have his medical with Manchester United on Friday, per @marca ? pic.twitter.com/k1YvXwURBp
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 18, 2022
“Hearing his desire to leave, there’s no way back … If the negotiations go well and an agreement is reached, we have to wish him all the best and look at what we have.
“It’s hard to speak now, because we don’t know what will happen in the next few hours, whether he stays or goes. But if he goes, we’re hugely grateful to him.”
Things are escalating quickly with Casemiro. All the details should be finalized within the next day or so, and an announcement should come soon.
While yes, he’s a much better alternative than Adrien Rabiot, this doesn’t exactly totally redeem United’s transfer window. But it definitely raises the grade.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.