Why Ferdinand thinks Man United squad will 'adore' playing alongside Casemiro

Manchester United are making progress over a deal to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid, and he could be the perfect fit for Erik ten Hag's side this season.

United have struggled in their opening two matches of the season against sides who have dominated the midfield battle and found it easy to break through the spine of the side.

It is clear that something needs to change if United are to have any chance of getting their campaign back on track, and a deal for Real ace Casemiro could well be the answer.

The 30-year-old has forged a reputation as one of the toughest tacklers in European football and is known as a no-nonsense midfielder who isn't afraid of doing the dirty work for his side.

These attributes were on show last year when the Brazilian produced a masterclass to help Real Madrid defeat Liverpool 3-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Speaking after the second leg, a goalless draw at Anfield, Ferdinand praised Casemiro's style of play. “Excellent footballer. He does all the graft, all the hard yards, all of the ugly stuff, but with a bit of quality as well,” he told BT Sport.

"I've seen him live a good few times… today, even his passing was top drawer. In tight situations, finding the spare man, but knowing where to be.

"The most tackles, most regains of the ball today on the pitch out of any player. A complete understanding of the defensive midfielder role in a football team."

He added: "I really love the way he plays football. Disciplined, doesn't go too far away from the area of danger in front of the back four.

"When he needs to come out of there, he picks his times and I think he's a player that when you play in a team with a player like that, you absolutely adore having him in your team and you know when they're not there.”