Ben Stewart
Would Casemiro solve Manchester United’s midfield problem?
Manchester United have turned their attentions to Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro and we’ve dived into his stats to see if he would be a good fit.
There’s no doubt that holding midfield has been a problem position for Manchester United for some time now.
Scott McTominay and Fred played 58 Premier League matches between them last season, but they have fallen below the threshold of what Man United need.
Casemiro has had a wealth of success at Real Madrid and he would certainly bring a different dynamic to United’s midfield.
The problem Man United have
Man United conceded 57 goals in the Premier League last season and while many people will point to their flaws in defence, the problems start further up the pitch.
Only Leeds United’s Illan Meslier faced more shots last season than David De Gea in the Premier League, which highlights how open they were at the back.
Advancing the ball through midfield has also been a problem for Man United and this has been highlighted even more since the arrival of Erik ten Hag.
Scott McTominay ranks in the bottom 46% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for both progressive passes and passes completed per 90.
Without a consistent defensive presence in midfield Man United would often find themselves overrun and out-battled in the middle.
We also know that Erik ten Hag wants to adopt a possession-based system, which isn’t really possible with his current midfield options.
This is why he experimented with playing Christian Eriksen as a holding midfielder against Brentford because he is capable of progressing the ball, although it is not his natural position.
The role of Casemiro
While Casemiro is now 30 years old, he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
The Brazilian midfielder played a crucial role in Real Madrid winning the Champions League and he continues to be consistent in La Liga.
The first aspect of his game to consider is how good he is at handling the ball in pressured situations.
Last season he ranked ninth in La Liga for passes completed whilst under pressure from the opposition with 293 passes under pressure completed.
For context, this is almost 100 more than Scott McTominay managed for Man United last season.
The Brazilian midfielder ranks in the top 89% of midfielders when it comes to passes completed per 90, with an average of 65.65.
His pass completion rate of 86.6% also ranks him ahead of McTominay and several of Man United’s other midfielders.
Casemiro’s strongest skillset is his defensive awareness and ability to read the game.
He ranks in the top 90% of midfielders when it comes to tackles, blocks, interceptions, clearances and aerials won.
In La Liga last season Casemiro was Real Madrid’s sixth most used player as he racked up 2576 minutes played throughout their title-winning campaign.
He also started in 11 of their 13 Champions League matches and was a critical player throughout the tournament.
The Brazilian midfielder knows how to be a disruptive presence on the pitch when he needs to be and perhaps this is what Man United have been missing in recent years.
He was booked 11 times last season and is more than willing to commit a tactical foul or two when needed.
How much will he cost?
Perhaps the biggest sticking point Manchester United will have is how much they would have to spend on a player who is 31 years old next year.
Man United already have one of the biggest wage bills in Europe and Casemiro would expect to be one of their highest earners.
United have already proven they have funds available as they were willing to go all out for Frenkie de Jong, but as that deal has stalled, perhaps Casemiro is their next best bet.