Casemiro was motivated by the challenge of joining Manchester United this summer after watching their early-season four-goal capitulation against Brentford.
Erik ten Hag's side were humbled by the Bees in west London as they were blown away by four goals in a disastrous first half. It followed on from United's opening day Premier League defeat against Brighton, threatening to plunge their season into crisis.
Casemiro joined United in a £70million deal that week as he ended a trophy-laden nine years in the Spanish capital – where he won five Champions League crowns at the base of a midfield alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. The trio formed a formidable partnership that largely dominated Europe.
The arrival of Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco was viewed by the Brazilian as a diminishment of his status in the Spanish capital and once learning of interest from United, he was instantly interested in a fresh challenge.
That motivation was amplified after seeing his future teammates capitulate in humiliating fashion in west London, as Casemiro watched on from his Spanish home. As revealed by the Telegraph, that led to him texting his agent to say: "Tell them I'll fix this".
It was the moment that ended United's summer-long pursuit of a central midfielder, having been unsuccessful in their attempts to sign Frenkie de Jong despite agreeing a deal with Barcelona. Their move to sign Adrien Rabiot from Juventus also collapsed.
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As it transpires, signing Casemiro has proven inspired with the Brazilian starring for United this campaign - adding balance, control and structure to a team that desperately needed such attributes.
Casemiro has proven to be a catalyst in United's upturn in form – they are fourth in the Premier League and remain in both domestic cup competitions as they seek to end their trophy drought, which has lasted since the 2016/17 season. The mood around the club has been transformed in recent months.
