Journalist claims one Man Utd player has benefited most from Casemiro's arrival as Pogba comparison made

The signing of Casemiro by Manchester United has benefitted one player more than others, according to a respected journalist.

The Brazilian midfielder moved to Old Trafford from Real Madrid in August, and quickly became a key player under Erik ten Hag.

With five Champions League titles under his belt, the signing of the 31-year-old was seen as vital due to his trophy-winning experience with Real - and he has now won his first trophy with United.

Casemiro helped his side to win the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on Sunday, with United securing a 2-0 victory at Wembley in normal time.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the final, current United defender Phil Jones gave an inside view as to the impact Casemiro has had on the squad (quotes via Daily Mail): "It's the way he sets up those attacks. He has a calming effect on the lads. On the pitch, you can see everyone feeds off that.

"He is very infectious, and the way he leads and the way he plays his football, everybody sees that and feeds off him.

"You can see how successful they have been when he's been in the team."

Now, the Brazil star's impact on one player in particular has been assessed.

Casemiro Man Utd impact praised

Writing in the Daily Mail, respected football journalist Ian Ladyman praised Casemiro after the final - and also says that the midfielder has already had more influence on the club than Paul Pogba did during his six-year spell at the club.

He added: "Casemiro improves players, too. Not just by word but by deed.

"[Roy] Keane was the kind of footballer who could drag players along with him by sheer force of personality and example. It will be some time before any United player of that ilk can even be spoken about in the same breath.

"But Casemiro has already had an influence on his compatriot Fred, who played alongside him yesterday, while offering a security to the defensive pairing behind him that United central defenders have not had for a long time."

Fred is having arguably his most successful season at United since his 2016 transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk.

As well as becoming a regular in the team since Christian Eriksen's injury, the tireless midfielder also has five goals to his name - a career seasonal high. He also played a pivotal role in last week's 2-1 Europa League play-off round second leg win over Barcelona.

Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Casemiro, Carabao Cup, Erik Ten Hag, Fred

Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.