Manchester United are poised to complete the signing of Casemiro from Real Madrid – and the Brazilian's pending arrival at Old Trafford has already come under scrutiny.
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has been having his say as the Reds' arch-rivals prepare to welcome their fourth signing of the summer.
Speaking to the Mirror, the former Germany international – who also played in the Premier League for Newcastle and Manchester City – said:
"Casemiro is a great player – you only have to look at what he has won at Madrid [among other honours, three league titles and five Champions Leagues] – but he isn't going to win United the league, is he? We’re only two games into the season and it’s already obvious that United aren’t going to be anywhere near the title race. They are years behind Liverpool and Manchester City – and they are losing ground on Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal as well.
"Signing Casemiro is a small step forward – but he's not the answer. It is going to take years of backing Erik ten Hag in the transfer market before United are challenging for the big trophies again. But that's been obvious since [Sir Alex] Ferguson retired – and look at how many managers they have sacked in the process."
The thing is, United aren't signing Casemiro to magically win them the league; they're strengthening in an area where it's plain to see they've been severely lacking.
A significant upgrade on Scott McTominay, the 30-year-old – who is one of the first names on the team sheet for his country – has proven himself to be an elite operator in a defensive midfield role.
And if United are to recover from their disastrous start under Erik ten Hag and make progress down the long road back to where they want to be, solidity is a must.
Casemiro alone won't solve the club's multitude of problems – clearly – but could prove to be one of the more important missing pieces of the puzzle.
United face Liverpool on Monday night at Old Trafford, where they will be trying to avoid beginning a campaign with three straight defeats for the first time in 36 years.
