Chelsea broke the British transfer record to sign Enzo Fernandez after the World Cup and then broke it again seven months later by signing Moises Caicedo, while Arsenal also landed Declan Rice for £105m this summer.
Liverpool seem to have been linked with every anchorman in Europe and were prepared to pay £111m to end their search; and Manchester United are also in the market for another shield for their back four.
A specialist position – once shrugged off as being a role for ‘water-carriers’ – has become the most expensive to fill.
The prices for Fernandez, Rice and Caicedo are astronomical. They are also good deals. The proof of that is the £70m Manchester United paid last summer for Casemiro. The Brazilian will end up costing United more than Arsenal and Chelsea paid for Rice and Caicedo.
Caicedo and Rice are examples of thinking ahead – going big now to save cash for the next six or seven years in which they will assume their role.
I never believed Casemiro would be value for money. Not because there is any doubt that he has been a world-class player. But because he is at a stage of his career when he cannot fully repay United’s massive fee.
He was a panic buy when he joined a year ago, bought in the immediate aftermath of the failed pursuit of Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona; an ageing, stellar name signed for big money and on a massive salary to appease increasingly disgruntled fans, despite the fact he will need replacing with a similarly massive outlay two years on.
He is precisely the kind of signing United have been moving away from this summer as they look to the future.
There is no doubt that Casemiro (31) is a legend of the modern game. His honours speak for themselves, and for years he was one of the best players in the world in his position for Real Madrid.
Casemiro’s contribution for United so far is also more positive than negative, helping the club win a trophy last season and being a key component of the side which restored Champions League football. He performed well, adding experience and personality to a team at the start of a rebuild. Because of that, many will argue that he has already justified the purchase, especially given the financial return from returning to the top four.
That does not alter the fact he moved to Old Trafford with his peak years behind him, so his overall contribution can only be effective for a short period. Is that a clever use of resources?
United are now being strongly linked with players such as Sofyan Amrabat to help Casemiro protect their back line, but they did not challenge Arsenal and Chelsea for Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Fernandez or Rice because they felt Casemiro was the same profile of midfielder when they went big for him.
That demonstrates how unwise they were to pay so much. Real Madrid simply do not allow players of that ilk leave unless they feel they have had the best from them.
Given Casemiro has four years left on a reported £300,000-a-week (€351,000) Old Trafford contract, United still have a massive financial commitment on their hands. It has already cost them the chance to buy a younger alternative.
Even last season there were worrying signs that United had paid a fortune for a short-term fix, creating another problem for a year or two down the line. The 7-0 defeat at Anfield, when Casemiro was subbed after 76 minutes, was a red flag. United’s first performance of the season – a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton on Monday night – was another.
Casemiro was too often isolated and lacked the dynamism and energy required for such a responsible position.
Erik ten Hag is already in a situation in where he needs to remodel his midfield because Casemiro does not have the legs to work alone. Putting someone alongside him will help, but it cannot turn back the clock and recreate the 25-year-old who won the lot at the Bernabeu.
For now, the balance is not right with Casemiro alongside Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandez. Fernandez is a No 10, not a central midfielder, while Mount needs time to settle at his new club.
Every time United toiled in the middle, the contrast with the youth and vigour Arsenal and Chelsea have secured with their recent midfield purchases became more pronounced.
It reminded me of seeing Fabinho struggling for Liverpool at the start of last season, a situation briefly fixed when Trent Alexander-Arnold moved alongside him prior to the Brazilian being sold. Although it was only one game, it was a worry for United supporters.
Ten Hag will need an answer before this evening’s trip to Tottenham. Spurs are at the start of a new era but it is not the easiest stadium to go to and United will suffer if their midfield is so open. Longer-term, it needs a special player to fix that.
Football’s evolution has shifted the perception and responsibility of the No 6. Twenty years ago I played the role and the expectations were not so high. The task was to aggressively ‘sit’ in front of the back four, read the game to see danger, put your foot in and show enough technique on the ball to play simple passes to the more creative players.
Now the leading teams play so much higher, the defensive midfielder must be multi-faceted, athletic enough to cover most of the pitch and quick enough to track back and stop counter-attacks.
Their passing ability must also be such to enable a swift move from defence to attack. Perhaps most importantly, he must be ‘press resistant’ and able to withstand the pressure when opponents come hunting in packs to win possession higher up the pitch.
In essence, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have spent the summer hunting the complete footballer who can fulfil all those requirements. Manchester City already have him in Rodri. It is no wonder those identified for the same role are commanding such an extraordinary fee.
For decades, all the massive football spending was on the strikers or attacking players. A few years ago it was central defenders attracting world-record fees. Now coaches are desperate for resilience against high-pressing teams.
Casemiro was once as good as anyone in the world at that. Now there is a danger United may have an expensive luxury they cannot afford.
They will not be title contenders until they find a Rodri, Caicedo or Rice. After paying £70m for someone who could do the job five years ago but will continue to struggle to match his previous high standards, the current market suggests they will need another £100m for the midfielder to do so for the next five years.
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