Manchester United’s hopes of unveiling Casemiro ahead of Monday’s clash with Liverpool have been dealt a blow over a problem with the player’s visa, according to reports.
On Friday, the Red Devils announced they had reached an agreement with Real Madrid over the transfer of the midfielder, with the deal expected to cost £59.5m.
But, a statement confirmed that the transfer was ‘subject to the agreement of personal terms, UK visa requirements and a medical.’
United had hoped to get it done in time for Liverpool’s visit to Old Trafford on Monday, with the expectation that Casemiro would be paraded in front of the fans shortly before kick-off.
They did the same thing with Varane last summer before August’s game with Leeds, with the Frenchman walking out to the centre circle to pose for photos and receiving a rapturous applause.
Speaking at the time, BT Sport pundit Joe Cole said of Varane: ‘Unbelievable. This is very smart from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
‘When you want to get the crowd going, unveil a big star like Raphael Varane. You do it right now, these fans are off their seat. It’s going to be electric.’
United gave one of their best displays of the season, hammering Leeds 5-1, and Erik ten Hag would have been hoping the unveiling of Casemiro would have a similar effect against the Reds.
But, The Athletic are reporting that the 30-year-old will not arrive in the UK in time to be in the stands for Monday’s clash against the Merseysiders – who he beat in last season’s Champions League final.
Casemiro has encountered some issues with his visa so the deal will not be done for several more days yet, so he will have to watch the game from his home in Spain.
United legend Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, believes they have landed a fine player in Casemiro but has questioned his age and suitability to Ten Hag’s style.
‘Casemiro, United’s new signing, will not be eligible to face Liverpool, which is a pity because he will undoubtedly improve United. He’s a good player. I’ve played against him and he’ll bring a bit of character, a bit of work rate, but is he exactly what United need? I’m not sure,’ he wrote in The Times.
‘This goes back to the need to look to the future. Ideally, they should be signing players in their early to mid-twenties, and Casemiro is similar to Christian Eriksen — someone who has been a good player, but are they going to help the club move forward? Frenkie de Jong, Ten Hag’s principal midfield target, would be a better fit.
‘The Casemiro deal seems to have come from nowhere, and looks a reactive signing — I’d be surprised if he was a player identified as a priority to bring in when Ten Hag arrived. It looks like, having been unable to sign De Jong, United just reacted to Casemiro being available.’
