Casemiro was written off as finished not too long ago, with even former Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher famously imploring the Brazilian to leave the football before the football left him.
But the Manchester United defensive midfielder has come roaring back, and if he can help Michael Carrick and the Red Devils complete the turn around to resuming business as usual as a Champions League team again, then he will have become not just a Real Madrid icon but also a Man United one, too.
He remains highly effective in the 2025/26 season, and if you now count Bruno Fernandes as an attacking midfielder again after the replacement of Ruben Amorim with Carrick, then Casemiro is by far Man United’s best pure midfielder.
There is such a huge difference between how Man Unitd play with Casemiro in the lineup vs. without, and with Kobbie Mainoo still struggling in his development, Case is even more important.
And so, Case’s importance to Manchester United really reenforces the fact that the Red Devils need to sign two top midfielders this summer transfer window. They obviously need one even with Casemiro, but with the Brazilian nearing the age of 33 and rumors still swirling about his future, they have to sign his successor in addition to a current star.
Sandro Tonali and Elliot Anderson. Bruno Guimaraes and Adam Wharton. Whichever top options on the market Manchester United go for this year, they need two of them, because Casemiro’s importance and sheer quality compared to the other current Man United midfielders just emphasizes how poor this squad is in the middle of the park right now.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.