8 months ago
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Gary Neville believes Manchester United’s hierarchy should have blocked the signing of Casemiro.
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The Brazil international joined United from Real Madrid in a £70 million deal in August 2022 and impressed during his first season at Old Trafford.
But the 31-year-old has been restricted to just 12 appearances this term due to a hamstring injury.
Casemiro is currently United’s top earner on £350,000-a-week having signed a four-year deal, with the option of a fifth season, when he joined Erik ten Hag’s side.
And Neville claims the significant costs involved in signing the midfielder from Madrid should have forced United to look for an alternative.
‘Coming in from an owner’s perspective, you employ a head of recruitment who you think is the best guy out there at spotting players and spotting talent that will bring value to your club, Neville said on the Stick to Football podcast.
‘You’ve got a sporting director who will equally be thinking the same way – their loyalty is to the club but also a loyalty to make sure we win games, so we’re aligned.
‘A manager’s job is purely to think about the immediate short term and getting results for himself.
‘Casemiro is a perfect example of a short-term signing that is going to cost in the long term.
‘That signing never should have gone through a good sporting director, a good owner, a good head of recruitment. That signing should have never gone through that signing, in my opinion. It should have been a veto, bang, gone.
‘He doesn’t fit long term, wages, he’s a good player, the wages are crazy, the length of contract is crazy.’
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