Jamie Carragher criticises Manchester United over £70m transfer

Liverpool legend and ex-England defender Jamie Carragher (Picture: Getty)

Jamie Carragher has criticised Manchester United ’s decision to sign Casemiro but admits he was ‘too harsh’ with his ‘brutal verdict’ of the midfielder.

United signed Brazil legend Casemiro in a £70m deal from Real Madrid in the summer of 2022 .

Much was expected of Casemiro given his long and successful spell at the Bernabeu, where he won five Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles.

But Casemiro endured a difficult start to his spell in Manchester, resulting in Carragher telling him to ‘leave the football before the football leaves you’ towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign .

Casemiro was heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia that summer but stayed put and has impressed over the last two seasons.

The 34-year-old announced in January that he was leaving at the end of the season but his form has led to calls for Manchester United to offer him a new deal.

Carragher admits his criticism of Casemiro was ‘too harsh’ and ‘premature’ but still says it was a mistake for United to bring him to Old Trafford.

Casemiro has had a mixed spell at Manchester United (Picture: Getty)

‘In retrospect, do I regret my comments about such a legendary footballer? Yes and no,’ Carragher told The Telegraph .

‘It must be acknowledged that the implication that Casemiro was “finished” at the highest level was too harsh and premature.

‘My argument was he would be better heading out to the MLS, or accepting offers from Saudi Arabia, because he would never get back to anywhere near his best to achieve the same heights of winning the Champions League or league titles at Old Trafford as he did so brilliantly at Real Madrid.

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‘At the time, those observations were not controversial. In 2024, Casemiro was unfit, lacked the physicality and athleticism to cope with quicker, sharper opponents, and was exposed when used in a deeper role.’

The Liverpool legend and ex-England defender added: ‘For all those arguing the criticism in 2024 was completely wrong, ask yourselves this: if United could go back in time, would they still have signed Casemiro?

‘They spent most of the summer of 2022 pursuing Frenkie de Jong, adamant they would no longer pay too much for high-salaried footballers in their 30s, but ended up bidding £70m and offering Casemiro a massive contract when it was obvious Real Madrid believed his best days were over.

‘Credit must be given to him for changing the perception of his United career as he prepares to say his goodbyes. Carrick also deserves praise for finding a role more suited to him and the team at this stage of his career in a way Ten Hag and Ruben Amorim failed to.

‘Casemiro is and will always be a Champions League and La Liga legend. When departing Old Trafford, he deserves the ovation he receives for a magnificent career.

‘But when the dust settles, no amount of rewriting history will change this fact: the next time a player of Casemiro’s age and status is available for the same salary and transfer fee, United will learn from experience and say, “thanks, but no thanks”.’

Casemiro missed Manchester United’s goalless draw at Sunderland last weekend but is expected to return for Sunday’s clash with Nottingham Forest, which would be his last home game.