Former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has once again voiced his criticism of the club’s leadership in the turbulent years following Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure - this time, singling out a current player he claims he would never have signed. Now 66 and leading Austria's national team, Rangnick famously declared that United needed “open-heart surgery” to rediscover their former glory - and in hindsight, he’s been proven right on more than one front.
Installed in the Old Trafford cockpit between December 2021 and May 2022 as the band-aid solution between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag's regimes, the German oversaw 11 wins, nine draws, and nine defeats during a largely underwhelming tenure. And while the club has since lifted both the FA Cup and League Cup, genuine signs of long-term progress remain elusive, lingering in the shadows of those heavy-hearted days.
Last season offered little relief. Under the pessimistic eye of new manager Ruben Amorim, United slumped to a dismal 15th-place Premier League finish and suffered Europa League heartbreak at the hands of Tottenham. One of the enduring failings of the post-Ferguson era has been the club’s scattergun approach to the transfer market - an issue Rangnick seems to underscore through his veiled criticism of Casemiro’s arrival three years ago, a signing emblematic of a strategy gone awry.
The 9 Players Ralf Rangnick Recommended to Manchester United Related
The 9 Players Ralf Rangnick Recommended to Manchester United
Manchester United may wish they'd paid closer attention to Ralf Rangnick's recommendations.
Ralf Rangnick Would Have Never Signed Casemiro
He said the club should sign younger players instead of those aged 28 to 30
Casemiro celebrating after scoring for Manchester United
After spending much of the 2023/24 campaign - and the first half of 2024/25 - looking like a lost soul adrift in midfield, Casemiro suddenly roared back to life at the turn of the year. He became the commanding general who helped drive Amorim's side to a surprise appearance in the Europa League final, as his resurgence coincided with a remarkable body transformation - perhaps spurred on by Jamie Carragher’s blunt warning to “leave the football before the football leaves you.”
Still, Rangnick remains unconvinced. For him, splashing £70 million on a 30-year-old and handing him £350,000 per week never added up. In his latest remarks, he appeared to take a thinly veiled swipe at United’s decision to sign the veteran Real Madrid icon in 2022. He told the Daily Mail:
"If I were the owner or sporting director of a club, I would only try to sign and invest in young players. Because, no matter how you look at it, it only makes sense. Does it make sense to spend 30, 40, 50 million on a 28-or 30-year-old signing? Not really."
"Let's calculate it," the Austrian continued. "You sign a 28 or 30-year-old with a five-year contract. You spend 50 million more on the transfer fee, an average of 15 million euros per year multiplied by five. That's 65 million plus the 50 million transfer fee equals 115 million, plus the agents' fees. The whole operation costs you around 130 million."
United have spent over £600 million on transfers since Rangnick's departure, with Casemiro remaining at the club after having contributed to 29 goals in 125 appearances so far. With his contract expiring next year, it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils' hierarchy look to cash in on him while they can still attract funds from the likes of Saudi Arabia, or whether the Brazil international will play a role in next season's rebuild before fading into free agency.