The three best January transfers in Real Madrid history
2. Casemiro
One of the best defensive midfielders in the world and one of the most successful midfielders of Real Madrid, Casemiro, is the next name on this list.
He was signed by Real Madrid on loan from Sao Paulo in January 2013, to use the 18-year-old for Real Madrid Castilla. There weren’t any sort of expectations on him, which might seem weird, considering his achievements so far. But he climbed up one step at a time, worked hard that season, and got to make his debut for the first-team three months after his signing.
After some great performances, he was signed permanently by the club for a sum of 6 million euros and was also promoted to the first team under Carlo Ancelotti. He didn’t get to play a lot in a team that had Xabi Alonso as their main defensive midfielder, and he had to be loaned to Porto in 2014/15, for regular playing time.
He returned to Real Madrid in 2015, and did get a lot of minutes under Benitez, but didn’t get chances in the first few weeks under Zidane. This made him ask Zidane about his situation, to which the Frenchman replied, “Once you start playing, you won’t stop”. And the rest, as they say, is history. Those words from Zidane proved to be right as Casemiro became a permanent starter for Real Madrid, and became a central part of Real Madrid’s defensive structure under Zidane.
Eight seasons, four Champions League titles, 15 trophies and almost 25000 minutes in the royal white shirt later, Casemiro is still a starter for Los Blancos, being one of the most important players in the team. He has been a leader on the pitch for the team, and he is also setting a great example off the field with his dedication to Real Madrid.
When you compare it to the amount paid for him and the expectations on him at the beginning of his Real Madrid career, you can call him an overachiever. But he is not happy with his success, and he wants to win even more. Looking at him, he could grow on to become one of the most decorated players in club history. And all this started from a low profile transfer in January 2013, which might now look like a masterstroke from Florentino Perez.