Back at the start of the season, Manchester United's Luke Shaw said that he and his teammates needed to be shooting for the stars, setting their sights on the Premier League title.
There's no question that that was a somewhat overambitious goal, and when Ruben Amorim was sacked in January, most would have called it laughable, but Michael Carrick has changed things for the Old Trafford side.
To have enjoyed such a dramatic turnaround has been a staggering triumph for Carrick, who will not lift silverware this season but who is in a strong position to lead the Red Devils back into the Champions League, third in the standings right now.
Man United's Remaining Premier League Fixtures
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It's important that, having taken a big step forward, United do not move two places back. To achieve this, they must ensure they hit the mark in the summer transfer window, replacing Casemiro with an elite new holding midfielder.
How Man Utd plan to replace Casemiro
Casemiro, 34, is leaving the Theatre of Dreams this summer. Many have hoped to see the Brazilian extend his soon-to-expire deal, but Inter Miami are pushing to secure his signature, and while he's improved of late, it's probably right to see him off this year.
While Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson is likely INEOS's top target, Manchester City are also interested in the England international, and reports suggest United's neighbours have the lead in that race.
United will need a fallback, and a good one at that.
Well, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Man United have been engaged in talks with Sandro Tonali's representatives ahead of a summer move for the Newcastle United midfielder.
Sandro-Tonali-Newcastle
United are also keen on Magpies captain Bruno Guimaraes, but the 25-year-old Tonali could be a more realistic pick, even with a mammoth price tag of £100m.
Arsenal and Manchester City are also interested, but the noise is coming from the Theatre at the moment. Keep a close eye on this one.
Why Tonali is perfect for Man Utd
Shaw might have been a tad overambitious in his title aspirations, but there's no problem with that, especially now that Carrick is getting a tune from his players.
But by signing a maestro like Tonali, who has been instrumental across this rich recent period at St. James' Park for Newcastle, the Manchester United squad might just edge closer to glory at the top of the table.
Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali
Casemiro has been among Man United's most important players this season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists across 29 Premier League matches.
However, the Brazilian isn't faultless, and his powers as a world-class number six are waning, winning only 51% of his duels in the Premier League, down from a 64% average last season.
Casemiro's Premier League Career with Man Utd
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Casemiro has been a consistent presence in the Man United midfield, but he has missed matches throughout his four-year stay in the Premier League, and the hope would be that Tonali, as fit as a fiddle, could dominate the Old Trafford engine room, make it his own.
The Italy international has been described as "the best midfielder in the Premier League" by Red Devils legend Paul Scholes, certainly among the architects of Newcastle's title-winning success.
A first-class distributor and intelligent operator at the heart of the engine room, Tonali has also won 54% of his duels in the top flight, combative and creative alongside Guimaraes.
His ability to shift between an anchoring role and a more dynamic box-to-box role is a further reason for INEOS to invest, with this a quality shared by both Guimaraes and Anderson.
Casemiro is one of Old Trafford's highest earners, and though he is resurgent, he is also getting old and could struggle to recapture his current form after the summer break.
United, indeed, need a clean break, and by signing an elite yet still rising star in Tonali, they might just continue to grow and go from strength to strength.
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