Casemiro: Is the Brazilian, the midfielder Manchester United needs?

Manchester United have confirmed via the club's official website that they have reached an agreement with Real Madrid for Casemiro. The signing of the Brazilian is subject to the agreement of personal terms, UK visa requirements and a medical. The fee is said to be around the $60 million mark with $10 million add-ons.

A step in the right direction:

This is encouraging news for United who have had a desastrous start to the season.There aren't enough adjectives to describe how hapless and poor they really have been. Words just aren't capable of doing it justice. The Red Devils have played two games and lost two and in the process have conceded six goals. Yes, six and no, you haven't read that wrong. One of those defeats was against Brenford, a team that pundits and bookmakers alike have predicted to be one of the favourites to be relegated at the end of the season. It's unsurprisingly been described as one of the worst performances by a Manchester United side in years.

Despite a positive preseason and a string of several decent results, the disastrous opening two league games have made it abundantly clear that United are in desperate need of reinforcements, all over the pitch. David De Gea's inability to play the role of a sweeper keeper, Harry Maguire's broken confidence, the lack of goals, McFred's inability to play a decent pass... there is plentiful evidence to show United need to dip into the market for several players.

At the very least, Casemiro – a five-time Champions League winner anchoring one of the great modern midfields at Real Madrid – should make United harder to play against.

Yet the 30-year-old, whose arrival at Old Trafford appears imminent, possesses a vastly different profile to the previous two midfielders United very publicly pursued – ultimately unsuccessfully. The progression from Frenkie de Jong to Adrien Rabiot to Casemiro was not a particularly obvious one, but have the Red Devils now ended up with the right man?

No more 'McFred':

Few United fans who have seen their 'McFred' midfield repeatedly overrun in recent seasons would complain about the club recruiting an upgrade on Fred.

The numbers would suggest that is what they are buying in Casemiro, who is comparable to his Brazil team-mate by several metrics.

Only two LaLiga midfielders made more recoveries than Casemiro (230) last season, yet his 8.0 per 90 were topped by Fred's 8.7. Fred matched Casemiro for tackles per 90 (both 2.8) and edged him in terms of interceptions (1.4 to 1.3).

However, Casemiro's physical presence ensured he won 59.7 per cent of his duels, far outperforming Fred's 47.8 per cent.

And the Madrid man, crucially, is more effective with the ball once he has won it.

Carlo Ancelotti's side attempted 43 shots at the end of sequences that started with Casemiro recovering possession, seeing the midfielder lead LaLiga in this regard and trail only Marcelo Brozovic (44) across Europe's top five leagues.

Although just 27.6 per cent of Casemiro's passes were played forward – versus Fred's 30.4 per cent – he was at the heart of so many Madrid attacks.

Casemiro played 34 passes to players who immediately created chances for team-mates, which compared very favourably with Rabiot (12), Scott McTominay (18), Fred (19) and, indeed, De Jong (22).

What will Casemiro bring to United?

In this regard, Casemiro is a great signing, and this is step in the right direction for the Red Devils, who are still on the look out for a striker and another midfield player. Fred and McTominay have proven they are not cut out to do the job required of them, and have shown themselves to be incompetent both defensively and offensively in Ten Hag's midfield. The midflield has been crying out for both an attacking and more creative midfielder (which could possibly be Frenkie de Jong), as well competent defensive midfield to add an extra layer of reliable protection to a wobbly back four, who can also quickly turn defense into attack.

That is exactly what Casemiro can provide. There are very few players in world football that can defensively read the game like the Brazilian, who has lifted 18 titles in eight years in the Spanish capital. He is renowned for his break up play, in particular interceptions and recoveries. In fact, Casemiro is a regarded as a bit of a nerd of the game in Spain, and has openly confessed in interviews that the first thing he does after games is check how many recoveries and interceptions he has made.

In fact, in Real Madrid's remarkable Champions League campaign last season, the Brazilian was top for ball recoveries in the competition as well and ranked second for tackles attempted. He's a force to be reckoned with at set plays, too. He won 62 out out 99 headers from set-plays last year in Europe's most elite competition. This will be music to United ears given the team's frailties at set pieces in the past two Premier League games.

His defending intensity and solidity will be a welcome presence for United's back for who have been leaking goals this season. He should be a great reassurance and improve the confidence of the team defensively. He is a master at the dirty work and has been a bit of an unsung hero in Real Madrid's midfield in the past few years.

At Madrid, he has generally operated as the deepest lying player in a three man midfield accompanied by the much more creative presences of Luka Modric and Toni kross. It's a system he thrives in, and this could see Ten Hag make a tactical switch to a three man midfield we were used to seeing in his Ajax teams, provided he can get his hands on another creative midfield player to play alongside Christian Eriksen.