Mercato / Le souvenir de Claude Makélélé : perdre Casemiro (Manchester United), un risque pour le Real Madrid ?

The White House did not want to oppose Casemiro’s departure to Manchester United. He had his reasons. After seven years spent in the Spanish capital, the Auriverde midfielder was tempted by the Mancunian challenge. For all the services rendered to the club, the Madrid management let him take this opportunity. Also because she found her account there. Recovering 70 million euros on the transfer of a 30-year-old player, a sum which could rise to 85 million depending on the bonuses, is a very interesting financial operation that Real could not refuse.

But it remains a sporting risk. Real loses a player who has made a discreet and crucial contribution to its success. He had taken on another collective dimension when Zinédine Zidane had permanently installed him as a sentry from 2016. He had thus created this famous Bermuda Triangle with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos which has brought glory to Real Madrid for the past six years. years. With no less than four Champions League won over this period. This trio dominated Europe. And Casemiro was an essential link.

Tchouameni, a profile to evolve

The situation is reminiscent of that which Real had experienced almost twenty years ago. After a standoff for a contract extension, the Spanish club had sold Claude Makélélé to Chelsea. He had suffered the consequences. Without its French defensive midfielder to guarantee the collective balance in the middle of the Galacticos, the Madrid team no longer had the same performance. A year and a half later, Real had recruited the rough Dane Thomas Gravesen to try to fill the still gaping void left by Makélélé. Without success.

But Tchouameni does not exactly have the profile of the Brazilian. He is more of a torchbearer than a real sentinel, even if he evolves in the register that comes closest to that of Casemiro among the midfielders of the merengue squad (Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos). The rising star of the Blues will have to evolve his game to endorse the so specific costume of midfielder in front of the defense. But he has a good example to follow. Makélélé was not a sentinel when he started in Nantes. This did not prevent him from becoming a world reference in this position.