Gary Neville explains why Casemiro wasn’t a smart signing by Manchester United

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Manchester United legend Gary Neville has explained why £70million Casemiro wasn’t a smart signing by Manchester United.

“I feel like Ten Hag is not going to sign [marquee names]. If new owners come in they’re going to want to make a statement, they’ll want to blow the transfer market open. I don’t think that will suit him,” Neville said when discussing United’s potential summer plans on the Sky Sports show The Overlap.

“I think he’ll want those younger, hungrier ones that have still got that growth rather than the finished article. Casemiro obviously defeats that a little bit, but you look at Antony and Lisandro Martinez, they’re younger and hungrier.

“I think that’s the type of player he’ll want to add to this squad rather than saying, ‘Oh, Kylian Mbappe’s available or so-and-so is available’.

“But Casemiro, there’s no doubt – we all said it by the way – £60m? £70m? And £20m-a-year [contract] for five years is a £170m investment. That is a massive investment.

“It’s not a smart or shrewd signing when you look at it from a [big picture] point of view. None of us thought that. But the impact he’s having in the short term and what Manchester United need now, he’s devastating for the club in unbelievable ways.”