Manchester United signed Casemiro from Real Madrid last summer in a deal worth £60 million.

It was a deal which helped to transform Manchester United for the better. Real Madrid on the other hand, are still trying to figure it all out without Casemiro.

A 4-0 Copa del Rey win over Barcelona last week masked the fact they sit a distant 13 points behind Xavi’s side in the La Liga table and look set to relinquish their crown.

Casemiro meanwhile has helped transform Manchester United positively, from a side which scraped into the Europa League last season, to likely Champions League qualifiers, picking up a trophy along the way too.

Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty ImagesReplacing Casemiro isn’t easy

Replacing Casemiro isn’t easy. Manchester United have discovered this during the stretches he has been suspended for.

Real Madrid thought they had it all figured out when they signed Aurelien Tchouameni for big money a year ago. This helped usher Casemiro out the door.

In an interview with AS, Tchouameni’s former Bordeaux coach Gus Poyet has lamented the Brazilian’s exit.

Poyet said: “When Madrid signed him I was very happy for him and I knew I was going to learn a lot from Casemiro but Casemiro left and everything changed.”

The Frenchman’s big fee combined with Casemiro’s exit has heightened the pressure on the France international, and it has not been smooth sailing. He has started only 17 of a possible 28 La Liga games.

Casemiro on the other hand continues to be an unstoppable force since taking his talents to Manchester.

He returns to action this week in the Europa League when Manchester United take on Sevilla, where he will be reminding the Red Devils what they have been missing lately, and Real Madrid too.