Casemiro agrees Manchester United transfer and why he has joined them

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro on a four-year contract with the option of an additional year.

United are set to sign the Brazil international for a fee of £60million rising to £70m, depending on performance-related add-ons.

Casemiro will become one of United's highest earners on what has been described as a heavily performance-related contract, with significantly higher earnings if the club are in the Champions League.

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Club sources claim Casemiro sought a new professional challenge after winning the Champions League five times with Madrid and wants to test himself in the Premier League.

United manager Erik ten Hag prioritised a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong in the summer but once it became clear Casemiro was more attainable United moved for the Brazil international.

The imminent addition of Casemiro now makes any prospective signing of De Jong highly unlikely this summer.

Although United insist Casemiro was high on their list of midfield targets all summer, it is understood Ten Hag was prepared to forgo recruiting an outright defensive midfielder amid his fixation on De Jong.

Earlier in the summer, figures at United cited their four deep-lying midfield options of Scott McTominay, Fred, James Garner and Donny van de Beek.

United decided to sell Garner, 21, last week and he is generating interest from Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Southampton and Everton.

Brentford's 4-0 thrashing of United, as well as their opening weekend defeat to Brighton, highlighted United's midfield malaise without a single defensive-minded option in the first-team squad.

The club said in a statement: "Manchester United is