Manchester United make progress in bid for £59m Real Madrid star

It seemed absurd when news first came out that Manchester United placed a target on Real Madrid midfielder Carlos Casemiro earlier this week. However, it has come as a bit of a surprise to the football world when more details about a possible deal started to come out. Now, a price tag has reportedly been determined, and it remains to be seen if the Premier League side will meet the Spanish giants' requirements.

Last month, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti made it clear that he is happy with his current squad and that the club's market activity is over. Many laughed off United's interest in the central midfielder, but after the club's disastrous start to the Premier League season, it appears as though they are dead serious about their intentions.

After losing back-to-back matches since starting their 2022/23 season, the Red Devils have acknowledged that they are in dire need of reinforcements. The Brazilian has become one of their main targets after their failure to convince Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Casemiro has been offered an annual salary of €10.5m for a five-season deal. For a 30-year old, that's a good deal, especially as it puts the value of his contract behind only the likes of Premier League stars Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo.

United has reportedly offered Real Madrid €60m (£50m), but what's even more interesting is that there are reports claiming that the reigning La Liga champions have actually put a price tag on Casemiro. Los Blancos are believed to have asked for at least €70m (£59m). That is still a big gap between the offer and the asking price, but the real story here is the simple fact that the deal suddenly looks feasible.

Nevertheless, the biggest hurdle would be the player himself. He still has a contract until 2025 with the Champions League winners, which means he has a relatively stable future ahead of him. Not only that, Real Madrid are fighting for a total of six possible trophies this season, with the first one having already been secured at the UEFA Super Cup last week.

In contrast, United are not even in the Champions League and are currently at the bottom of the Premier League table. Former teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane made the move to Old Trafford, and they currently cut miserable figures on the bench there. If Casemiro does make the move, it will certainly come as a big shock.