Manchester United have Raphael Varane to thank for helping to land the signature of former Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro last summer.
The Brazilian ace spent eight years alongside the World Cup-winning defender at the Santiago Bernabeu, during which time they won four Champions League titles together before Casemiro added a fifth to his honours list at the end of the 2021/22 season while Varane was still getting to grips with life at Old Trafford.
Despite this, Casemiro's arrival at United was met with a healthy dose of scepticism, as fans and pundits alike questioned why the Red Devils had forked out £60million on a 30-year-old player on £200,000-a-week contract that is set to run until he turns 35 years of age.
The transfer took many by surprise given United spent almost the entirety of last summer chasing the signature of Barcelona ace Frenkie de Jong, only to divert their attention to Casemiro late on.
All the while, United were reportedly working on landing the Brazilian's services in the background away from the prying eyes of the media.
The signing was also greeted with question marks from the other side of the coin, with many wondering why a player who had just lifted the Champions League with Real Madrid would leave for a club without silverware of any kind in half a decade.
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However, with the help of Varane, United managed to snap up Casemiro. According to the Athletic, the Frenchman was in constant communication with Erik ten Hag and told the Dutchman the midfielder was not the type of player to move somewhere purely for the money.
Varane also gave Casemiro a fantastic reference in regard to his leadership qualities and the kind of mentality he can instil within the Old Trafford dressing room.
So far, Varane's transfer advice has been vindicated with Casemiro already cementing his status as one of United's most important players. The former Los Blancos star is actually regarded as one of the Premier League's strongest midfielders.
He has been a big reason why United have managed to turn things around after a shaky start to the season and now sit fourth in the table, two points in front of fifth-placed Tottenham having played a game less than Antonio Conte's men.
Up next for the Red Devils is the small task of a Manchester derby, with Ten Hag's troops welcoming Manchester City to Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime.
Bar an opening day defeat by Brighton, United's home form has been stellar in the league this term and a win against Pep Guardiola's side would be a huge statement in their bid for Champions League qualification.
