Former England striker Gary Lineker has questioned Manchester United’s move for Casemiro, calling it ‘strange’ and claiming they have paid ‘ridiculous money’ for the Real Madrid midfielder....CONTINUE READING
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Brazil international Casemiro completed a £70m move to Old Trafford last month after ending his nine-year spell at Real Madrid.
The 30-year-old made 336 appearances for Madrid and won five Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles during his time at the Bernabeu.
Lineker says Casemiro is a ‘proven winner’ and a ‘rock in midfield’ but has nevertheless questioned United’s big-money transfer.
‘It’s a strange one, spending £60m on a 30-year-old holding midfield player,’ Lineker told Mirror Football on behalf of Cure Leukaemia. ‘But he is a very, very good holding midfielder and he has been very successful.
‘I kind of get it in the sense of a quick fix because he’s better in the position that they’ve got by a mile, so I get that.
‘But have they paid ridiculous money? Yes. It’s an interesting one, he’s not going to go in there and create a million chances for everyone – that’s not his game alone.
‘He’s a proven winner, he’s a rock, so you know what you’re getting even though he hasn’t played in our league and he’s a little bit different. He’ll adjust, it’ll just take time.’
Casemiro, who made his United debut in the 1-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday, is desperate to flourish at Old Trafford and wants to help the club win major titles.
Following his departure from Real Madrid, Casemiro said: ‘I am excited to develop at a big club like Manchester United. This is a very important challenge for me – I feel like I am 18 years old again.
‘I want to show Manchester United fans that I’m serious about them, I will work extremely hard. What am I looking for? New challenges, a new club, another country, another culture.
‘I want to help Manchester United, I want to win new things… I want to win the Premier League with Manchester United.’
Casemiro looks set to be involved in United’s Premier League clash against Leicester City on Thursday night.
