Manchester United‘s swift move to agree a deal to sign Casemiro this week made headlines, while the potential fee that they’ll pay Real Madrid — which sources have told ESPN is an initial £60 million (€70m), with another £10m (€11m) in add-ons — has raised eyebrows for a player who turned 30 in February.
The deal doesn’t make the Brazil midfielder the most expensive over-30 player of all time, though. It’s his future United — and former Madrid — teammate Cristiano Ronaldo who still holds that honour. Juventus eventually paid a whopping €100m to sign Ronaldo, now 37, from Madrid back in July 2018.
The move was divisive at the time, with many Madrid fans feeling the club were moving on their record goal-scorer too soon. The Spanish giants had just won three Champions Leagues in a row, a run which was followed by a four-year European drought after Ronaldo left, before they won the trophy again for a 14th time last season.
Ronaldo scored 81 league goals in three years at Juventus, winning Serie A in his first two seasons in Italy, but was unable to find success in Europe, and returned to former club United in 2021.
Casemiro — another Madrid departure — now holds the No. 2 spot on the most expensive over-30s list, as he faces the unenviable task of turning around United’s season after two losses in their two opening Premier League games.
