The truth behind Casemiro’s Real Madrid exit
FT Desk
- 2 Nov 2022 22:45 GMT
- 3 min read
Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag has revealed that Real Madrid did not want to sell Casemiro to him this summer.
Casemiro was arguably Man Utd’s signature move of the summer market, as they splashed out over €70 million for the legendary midfielder from Real Madrid.
The transfer came as something of a surprise given the fact that the Brazilian had played a pivotal role in Madrid being the most dominant side in Europe for the best part of a decade.
Most people believed that Madrid decided to sell Casemiro because Man Utd offered such a big sum for a player who had already turned 30.
But Ten Hag says that Madrid did not want to sell him at all.
What did Ten Hag say?
"You see him growing game to game and also our team is growing so we're really happy with the progress but we have to keep that process going,” Ten Hag said.
“We are not satisfied and we have to keep getting better.
"He told me he needs a new challenge because at Real Madrid he won everything. He was a big part at Real Madrid and they didn't want him to go but he had the feeling: 'I have to go to another club, another league to prove myself.'
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“And that shows his hunger. I really like that. From the first day he has come with that attitude in every training, every match and I really like it. He will be more and more important to our team."
Casemiro had struggled for game time early in the campaign, with Ten Hag often selecting Scott McTominay and Fred instead of him.
However, the Brazilian has now become a key player of the first team and he scored a crucial equaliser against Chelsea 10 days ago in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
