Casemiro reveals why he almost reconsidered Manchester United move at the last minute

Casemiro has opened up on his decision to leave Real Madrid for Manchester United and revealed how a tearful Carlo Ancelotti nearly prompted a last-minute U-turn.

Shortly after winning his fifth Champions League title in the summer of 2022, the Brazilian swapped the Bernabeu for Old Trafford in a £60million switch and made an immediate impact, helping the side lift the Carabao Cup and reach the FA Cup final.

Casemiro says he was always very sure of his decision but had one moment when he briefly reconsidered the transfer at the eleventh hour when he went to say goodbye to Ancelotti.

In an interview with El Chiringuito de Jugones this week, Casemiro said: ‘I had won everything. It’s not that I wasn’t going to keep pushing, but I wanted to try new things.

‘They didn’t let me leave so easily, but I wanted to learn a new language and play in another league. United had behaved very respectfully from day one.

‘I decided to leave a little after winning the Champions League. I already saw that my time at Madrid was over, I was at a good age to leave and I wanted to continue to grow.

‘The decision was not easy at all, people loved me. I had doubts only once. Actually I will tell you something here that I have never told anyone, I had only one moment where I doubted about leaving Madrid for Manchester United.

‘I remember it was a Friday and almost everything was done, the only thing that was missing was my signature and I just had to do my medical. But it was already done.

‘I went to talk to the Mister [Ancelotti] because I was supposed to train but I couldn’t train [because the transfer was imminent]. People knew the transfer was done but I still had to be there.

‘And so I go to talk to Ancelotti and he already knew I was leaving. I entered his office and when he turned around I saw he was crying. Ancelotti was crying.

‘And I am thinking, “Why are you crying? No, you can’t be crying”. And Carlo told me that he didn’t want me to leave and that he loved me very much… and in that moment I doubted [the move] and realised how many people loved me here.

‘But I had already committed to it, I had given my word [to Manchester United] and my word is more important that anything. But that was the one moment.’

Asked how he is enjoying his time in England since making the move, Casemiro added: ‘Very good, phenomenal. Everything is going very well, everything is perfect.

‘The Premier League is incredible, it is very nice to play in. My family’s adaption is also going well. Everything is great.’

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