Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro and the Brazilian could be exactly what Erik ten Hag needs at Old Trafford.
What's the word?
According to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, United are "looking at" the 30-year-old as they look to improve their midfield before the transfer window closes later this month.
The first two games have seen United dominated by Brighton and Brentford, so new additions are clearly required if Ten Hag is to achieve a top-four finish this season, and Casemiro's experience and ability suggest that he could be the ideal man.
Ten Hag needs him
Casemiro has been a regular at Real Madrid since signing for the club from Porto in 2015. The midfielder has made 336 appearances in total, in which he has contributed 31 goals and 29 assists.
Winning trophies has been a real problem for United in recent seasons, with their last coming under Jose Mourinho in the 2016/7 season, but in Casemiro, they would be signing a serial winner.
The Brazilian has won three La Liga titles and a remarkable five Champions League titles during his time at Real Madrid, which emphasises that he is more than capable of producing at the top level of football.
Ten Hag desperately needs to strengthen in his midfield after the departures of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic, as Fred and Scott McTominay's early season form has emphasised that they are not good enough as a double pivot, with the pair failing to complete a single 90 minutes between them this term.
Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen has done little to win over fans with his first two displays in a United shirt, as he combined with David De Gea to gift Brentford a second goal last weekend.
Last season saw Casemiro make 32 appearances in La Liga for Los Blancos, averaging a superb 7.26 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which was better than any United player would average last season, proving he would be a far more reliable option in Ten Hag's squad.
Sergio Busquets, who will surely go down as one of the best defensive-midfielders of his generation, was full of praise for Casemiro earlier this year, saying:
“If he’s not the best, he’s definitely among the best. You just have to watch his games, his career or the work he does on the field. It happens to midfielders like us, we’re not flashy and people don’t pay attention to us because at the end of the day they just take a look at goals, assists and dribbles."
United need someone of Casemiro's quality and ruthless efficiency in midfield, as it could free up the likes of Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes to do their thing in attacking areas. Therefore, Ten Hag desperately needs to bring the £158k-per-week midfielder to Old Trafford.