Erik ten Hag should have spent his money elsewhere.

Manchester United are known for signing players for astronomical fees just for them to flop.

Jadon Sancho and Antony – who cost £73m and £86m, respectively – are often the most talked-about examples of that, but there is one player who often escapes criticism despite costing nearly as much.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the individual who hasn’t performed anywhere near his price tag and why the move was the wrong decision in the first place.

How much Casemiro cost Man United

Last summer, the five-time Champions League winner switched sunny Madrid for miserable Manchester, with the weather providing an excellent description of his time at the two clubs.

At Real Madrid, Casemiro won 18 trophies over 336 appearances, where he was known for being a “monster,” as per writer Muhammad Butt, protecting the backline in a defensive midfield role behind Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

United were, and still are, in the market for a true defensive midfielder to replace Nemanja Matic in the summer of 2022, and they decided to spend £70m on the Brazilian, which is clearly a large fee for a then 30-year-old.

Fast forward to last summer, and Jamie Carragher expressed his thoughts about the signing of the defensive rock, labelling the move as a “panic buy,” which is proving to be a fairly accurate statement.

Casemiro’s current value

His first season at the Red Devils saw him become a key player in the side, starting 24 Premier League games and forming a solid partnership alongside Christian Eriksen that Ten Hag could trust.

The midfielder, who was mainly known for his defensive duties, showcased his ability to score goals, as he netted seven times across all competitions, including the goal that ultimately handed the Red Devils the EFL Cup.

Casemiro was also included in the FIFPro World XI for 2022, which was the cherry on top of his perfect start to life at Man United.

Casemiro’s Market Value Over Time

Date

Market Value

December 2021 (RM)

£51m

June 2022 (RM)

£34m

September 2022 (MUFC)

£43m

June 2023 (MUFC)

£34m

December 2023 (MUFC)

£26m

Stats via Transfermarkt

However, signing a 30-year-old and playing him frequently is obviously going to have its flaws, which we have seen this season.

The now-31-year-old played the first 12 matches of the campaign before picking up an injury that would ultimately see him miss 17 games. Since then, he’s featured just three times for Ten Hag’s side.

His estimated value had already decreased significantly by that point, but it has dipped even further down to £26m – as per CIES Football Observatory – which is a £44m drop from what the deal was originally worth when signing him.

Unfortunately, it seems that this trend is only set to continue, with the Brazilian struggling to reach the levels he was once at pre-injury.

Potentially in hindsight, but the 6 foot 1 titan was most definitely a “panic buy,” and United must look to shift their number 18 who costs the club £350k-per-week in wages.

Luckily for the United faithful, this type of transfer will be no longer with Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the helm, who is already working hard to change how the club functions both on and off the field, having privately questioned the signing of the experienced midfielder.

Ratcliffe leading race to sign Man Utd’s dream Martinez partner

The right centre back position is up for grabs.

Hopefully, such expensive mistakes will become a thing of the past…