Gary Neville warning about one of Erik ten Hag’s first Man Utd signings is now looking very worrying

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Gary Neville was sceptical when Manchester United signed Casemiro and some of those fears look well-founded right now.

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is going through a tough spell at present, highlighted by his early substitution against Brentford.

Erik ten Hag responded when asked why he took Casemiro off after just 45 minutes, that he ‘wanted more football’.

It was a cutting verdict on Casemiro’s poor performance, which saw him complete only 20 passes in the first half before he was taken off.

The Brazilian is not playing particularly well, despite a ‘player of the month award‘ generated off the back of his surprise goalscoring exploits.

Gary Neville’s Casemiro warning

When Manchester United moved to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid in summer 2022, Neville was one of the dissenting voices.

He warned that while Casemiro might be a good short-term option, it could be a signing that weighs heavily around Manchester United later down the line.

Neville was quoted by The Express: “I have to say I think he will do well for the club for a couple of years Casemiro, but someone in two years time is going to pick up a player who is beyond his best years on £20m a year that they can’t shift.

“That might be Erik ten Hag, it might be a new manager, it might be new owners, so there is a large element of desperation with the signing because a five-year contract for a 30-year-old should not happen.”

Warning signs

Neville’s comments are worrying because Manchester United are only at the start of Casemiro’s second season.

He had predicted Casemiro’s form would only tail off from the 2024/25 season. It is happening ahead of schedule, which makes you wonder if there will be an even further slide next year.

If it is the case that Casemiro will later be deemed no longer good enough, and too tough to shift, then it’s a scenario United know well.

The one consolation in this instance is Casemiro’s name value and reputation, which could make him an attractive option for Saudi Pro League sides, if the situation comes to that.