Liverpool star Fabinho has launched an impassioned defence of Manchester United midfielder Fred and has insisted the club should not replace him with new signing Casemiro.
United have splashed out £60million to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid, with the 30-year-old set to be announced ahead of Monday night’s match against Liverpool at Old Trafford. Casemiro is a significant addition for United, who moved after growing frustrated with the chase for Barelona’s Frenkie de Jong.
The five-time Champions League winner will sign a four-year contract, with the option of a further 12 months, and will become the club’s fourth summer signing, after Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia. Fabinho knows Casemiro well and is sure he will be a success for Liverpool’s rivals.
“I played with him in Real Madrid’s second team and with the national team,” Fabinho said. “‘He is a friend, we always have conversations and he is a good guy. Of course, he will be a good signing. Casemiro is a smart guy, he is a good player, he is strong, he is good in the air, so it will not be hard for him to adapt to the Premier League.”
Casemiro will surely go straight into Erik ten Hag’s midfield when he arrives, meaning one of Fred or Scott McTominay will lose their place in the side. Many United fans have been critical of the midfield pairing, who started the 2-1 defeat by Brighton on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Fred joined United in a £52.5m deal from Shakhtar Donetsk in July 2018 and has made 158 appearances for the club since, contributing eight goals and 13 assists. The 29-year-old has frequently been picked out by fans and pundits for criticism over the past few years, but Fabinho believes much of it has been unfair.
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"Sometimes I don’t really understand the criticisms with Fred because he is a regular player, he always plays good football," the Liverpool midfielder said. "In general Manchester United have not been successful in the last seasons so you try to find a solution or you try to put the fault on some of the players and sometimes I think Fred is that player.
"But he is a good player, in the national team, he is always a starter, he always plays good and, yes, sometimes the player needs a little bit more confidence to play good. Last season he played really good football, maybe he was one of the best United players. This season United didn’t start really good but I hope Fred will play good and United will stay playing like this."
Fabinho has stuck up for his Brazil teammates, but he is still keen to pile more misery on them in the short-term. Liverpool visit Old Trafford for Monday’s 8pm kick-off looking to record their first win of the season after draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace.
