Casemiro never would have pictured himself sitting on the bench next to Cristiano Ronaldo when Manchester United came knocking at his door during the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils were eager to reinforce their midfield line and spent £70million to secure the services of Casemiro - who won five Champions League titles during his time at Real Madrid.
Casemiro was hoping to hit the ground running once he arrived at Old Trafford, but it's safe to say he hasn't enjoyed the electric start he was hoping for. Instead, he has been warming the bench and making the occasion appearance.
Fans are surprised by his sporadic usage and have called for Ten Hag to make the most of the 30-year-old's skill set following United's abysmal performance against City.
The Red Devils suffered a gut-wrenching 6-3 defeat at City in the Manchester derby on Sunday. Casemiro - who was introduced on the hour mark to replace Scott McTominay - was pictured looking less than impressed on the bench.
Erik ten Hag tried to justify not starting Casemiro during his post-match interview. He said the Brazilian needs to 'find himself' in the squad and that his selection is based off what is right for the team.
The United manager said: 'On the day we signed him, we started to win and it's about the team. The team is doing really well, it's not against Casemiro, it's for, in this case, Scott McTominay.
'He performed great in the team and then we get into a run, but I'm sure it will be important for us in the long and short-term. He will find himself in the team but it has to come in a natural way.'
As a result, fans have since questioned whether Ten Hag actually wanted Casemiro in the first place. Therefore, Sportsmail has taken a look at the situation following the 30-year-old's arrival in the summer.
Did Erik ten Hag even want to sign Casemiro?
You start to wonder whether Erik ten Hag ever actually wanted Casemiro. It's common knowledge that United were in the market for a midfielder but Casemiro was never their top priority.
United wanted to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong but failed to secure his services. As a result, they turned their attention to Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli.
However, United quickly realised Locatelli was an unrealistic target and began pursuing Adrien Rabiot instead. United had reportedly agreed a fee of around £15million to sign Rabiot but pulled out of a deal soon after due to his 'wage demands'.
As a result, United identified Casemiro as an alternative option. Their pursuit of the 30-year-old ended up being successful and he arrived at the Manchester-based club for £70m.
Therefore, it raises the question as to whether Ten Hag ever really wanted Casemiro. The Brazilian was so far down the United pecking order when it came to signing a new midfielder that it could be a case of panic purchasing.
The Glazer's have previously come under fire for buying players for commercial reasons rather than football. For example, many felt the purchase of Ronaldo was economically beneficial for the club but not beneficial for the team.
How does Casemiro compare to his United team-mates?
Casemiro has found himself warming the bench more often than not for United. He has slipped down the pecking order under Ten Hag despite only arriving at the club during the summer transfer window.
Ten Hag is selecting the likes of Scott McTominay, Christian Eriksen and Fred ahead of the 30-year-old midfielder who has won five Champions League trophies during his storied career.
So, how does Casemiro compare? Statistically, the former Real Madrid midfielder was outperforming his United team-mates in several areas last season.
He completed more successful dribbles per 90 minutes than Fred, Bruno Fernandes and Eriksen (who was playing for Brentford).
Additionally, Casemiro had a higher pass completion rate than every single one of United's midfielders and executed more tackles than Eriksen, Fred, Fernandes and McTominay.
However, he was pipped to the post when it came to chances created, minutes per goal or assist and successful dribbles per 90 minutes.
Looking at the current campaign, Casemiro has registered a 40 per cent success rate when it comes to tackling.
The likes off McTominay has registered a 79 per cent success rate and Fred has registered 71 per cent.
That being said, Casemiro is clearly out of match practice and could replicate his team-mates success if given more opportunities to play.
What are Casemiro's strengths?
United struggled to contain City during the Manchester derby. Pep Guardiola's side burst through the middle time and time again to expose United's weaknesses.
Casemiro is known for being a solid holding midfielder. He excelled in that role at Real Madrid and could excel at United if given the chance.
The 30-year-old is particularly good at breaking up opposition attacks - which is a skill United could benefit from.
Looking at Casemiro's stats for the last year prove how good he is defensively. He has attempted 3.21 tackles per game and won 2.2 on average.
He also made 2.78 clearances per game, 2.25 blocks per game and made around two interceptions per game.
In addition, the 30-year-old is dominant in the air. He has won 66 per cent of his aerial battles over the last year.
How is Casemiro performing on the international stage
Casemiro has been thriving on the international scene despite spending the majority of his time at United on the bench.
He provided a stunning 40-yard assist during Brazil's 5-1 win over Tunisia earlier this month.
Casemiro picked up the ball just over the halfway line and floated a glorious pass over the Tunisian defence.
His pass landed right onto the head of Raphinha - who managed to find the back of the net to score his second goal of the game.
The outstanding pass marked Casemiro's third assist for his country and came during his 65th international game for Brazil.
What are the pundits saying about Casemiro
Rio Ferdinand is less than impressed with Ten Hag's decision to bench Casemiro. Speaking on his FIVE YouTube channel after United's defeat by City, he said: 'Casemiro is another one, he's sitting there going, "I've won five Champions Leagues with this team".
'I've heard people today say, "if he plays he needs legs around him, he can't play with Eriksen and Bruno". This geezer played with two snails in Modric and Toni Kroos - he just knows his way around a football pitch.
'He is a fantastic defensive midfielder, one of, if not the best, in the world before he came to Man United.'
Some people felt Erik ten Hag's decision to start Scott McTominay over Casemiro was valid due to the 30-year-old's recent performances.
However, Ferdinand disagreed. The former United defender said: 'You can't say that. The geeze hasn't been given a chance, he hasn't been given a fair crack of the whip. He's come in and played in a Europa League game against some dead team.
'He ain't been given a start in the team when he's fit and ready, he's regressed in terms of fitness, so he's now worse off than when he came. He still had to get up to speed when he came from that league to this league.
'I wonder the impact it's having on someone like him. Yes he's experience and whatnot, but he must be sitting there thinking, 'wow, I'm happy to be here at Man United but I'm feeling a little bit disrespected here, given what I've done'. I'd be surprised if he's not feeling like that.
'I think we will [see Ronaldo and Casemiro play], but I think it's the context of what games they're playing in – they could be playing midweek Europa game. That won't sit well with them. They'd be sitting there going, "wow, I'm like the Rumbelows Cup player right now, the Carabao Cup player".
'These are the sub-plots to what Ten Hag has to deal with. This is what management is about, he's got to manage that type of player, that type of ego, the pride that comes with these types of players. If you're not playing, you'll see a difference in the way they look at you now, and that's what you've got to manage.
'He didn't have those problems at Ajax with the players he had, he was very much in control, the master of the universe there. Here you've got big egos to deal with and this is the task when you come to a top club.'