Brazilian midfield star Casemiro told his team-mates he couldn't believe his salary when he left Real Madrid for Manchester United in the summer of 2022. More than a season and a half later, United are still counting the cost of that decision.
Casemiro could leave United in the next week or so, with Saudi Arabia potentially his destination. No surprises there. Who else would take a player who, at 32, earns more than £300,000 a week and still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract?
Even by modern standards, the numbers surrounding Casemiro's contract are extraordinary. The move is worth £1.2m per month and £70m over four years. The total expenditure will amount to approximately £150 million.
In return, United enjoyed a good season in South America last season. He added balance, security and intelligence to Erik ten Hag's midfield. He scored in the Carabao Cup final, helping United return to the Champions League places.
Even by modern standards, Casemiro's contract numbers are extraordinary.
But then he realized that the physical demands of the Premier League were too much. He has barely played this season due to injury and as a result has become emblematic of the short-term, overpriced transfer policy behind the ridiculous Puckett transfer policy that United have to retain under Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It is had.
Clubs have always made mistakes in the transfer market, but in recent times few have done it as spectacularly and lavishly as United.
Once upon a time, when life in the top division was simpler, you could pay over the odds for a short-term promotion. Back when the rules of profit and sustainability didn't exist yet.
In the Premier League, clubs can take a financial hit on players as long as they take them to their destination.
This is no longer the case. So last summer, when United were struggling under a £150m transfer cap to make ends meet, failing to bring the quality and depth to Ten Hag's squad that they so desperately needed. , what was at stake was a transfer deal like that of Casemiro. Wrap your neck around it like a tire.
There have been others over the years. Angel Di Maria, who was signed despite warnings from the scout team, was one of them. Alexis Sanchez was one of them.
The same goes for Anthony Martial, who signed Louis van Gaal and Ed Woodward without his recruiting team's knowledge in 2015, but only scored his debut goal against Liverpool before signing him at the end of his nine-year spell. I'm dragging my feet towards it.
So this is a culture of thoughtless and imprudent spending that should be a thing of the past as Ratcliffe prepares to welcome his first big signing, Omar Berada, into the United squad.
Much has been said and written about Berrada over the past week, largely due to his poaching from Manchester City.
The 45-year-old French-Moroccan will become United's new chief executive. There was some excitement about this. The appointment was clearly a 'coup', with the Manchester Evening News immediately compiling a list of Berrada's 'six City best man signings'. Unsurprisingly, Erling Haaland is among them.
New CEO Omar Berada could have significant influence here. He could stop United's over-spending, or should I say mis-spending, quickly.
As for Berrada's influence at United, I'll reserve judgment until we start to see signs of his smarts, common sense and progress.
But what I already know is that he wasn't doing any recruiting at City.
Berrada is incredibly valued at the Etihad Stadium and leaves with a reputation as a good man who has made a huge contribution to the club's success in recent years.
City don't want to let Berrada go, but he hasn't been added to the squad. Not at all. It has always been the domain of football managers Txiki Begiristain and Josep Guardiola.
Berrada's role is, among other things, to handle the formalities and basic tasks of arranging contracts for new players who have agreed to join the club.
The case of Casemiro, who has barely played this season due to injury, is emblematic of the short-term, overpriced fees behind the ridiculous packet transfer policy that United have to leave behind under Sir Jim Ratcliffe ( photograph)
Therefore, he can have significant influence here. He could put a stop to United's over-spending, or should I say mis-spending, immediately. But just as United signed Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £45m in 2019, it is unlikely that his club will consider 82 right-backs across Europe and sign one to play for Crystal Palace. In terms of preventing that from happening, that's up to Coach Ratcliffe, and probably Berrada's input as well. He decides to hire him as director of football.
According to sources, including those at City, United appear to have put an important piece in place by appointing Berrada. he has great talent.
But it will take more than just a new chief executive to eliminate a culture of waste, short-termism and bad decisions overnight.
Someone at the Etihad told me this week that City usually start looking for new players two years before they feel they need one. That means, for example, the search to replace Kyle Walker has already begun.
United have always had Casemiro in their sights and claim he has been on their wishlist for a long time. If so, why did they finally decide to buy him when he's too expensive and frankly too old?
This shock-and-awe approach to transfers is partly what has held United back for a decade. They won't even regain this lost ground until it stops.
On Monday's It's All Kick Off podcast, Chris Sutton and I talked about some of our favorite manager meltdowns in the years since he retired from football.
Kevin Keegan, Arsene Wenger and Phil Brown were on my list, but Chris was a little further down the pyramid.
Make yourself a cup of tea and type John Sitton into YouTube. You won't regret it.
And read Mail Sport's colorful interview with Sitton in 2016 here.
It took new manager Ange Postecoglou about two weeks to change the atmosphere on match day against Tottenham.
Antonio Conte left a funeral parlor and Postecoglou's team turned it into a nightclub with Robbie Williams on deck.
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino blamed the poor atmosphere at Chelsea in London on past sins. The Chelsea manager said: “The disappointment of the fans comes from last season.''
This is clearly nonsense. Soccer fans react to what is in front of them, not what they remember at another time.
We don't need the Postecoglu comparison to be helpful here, but I'll bring it up anyway.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino issued harsh comments this week after racist abuse marred matches in Italy and Wednesday's Sheffield Championship match.
“What happened is absolutely abhorrent,” he said. “I offer my full support to the players affected. FIFA stands in full solidarity against all forms of discrimination.”
This is the same Infantino who hosted the World Cup in Qatar and the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia. He is the emptiest vessel in football. He's both dishonest and stupid, which is quite an accomplishment.
Kalvin Phillips is heading to West Ham on loan from Manchester City and is delighted to be doing so.
The midfielder is a very good player with a good attitude, but his City career ended within weeks of walking through the gates from Leeds two summers ago.
The three medals he won last season must feel a bit worthless when you think about it. He will likely play regularly for West Ham, which should please England manager Gareth Southgate as well as the return to form and fitness of Chelsea's Ben Chilwell and Liverpool's Joe Gomez.
With the Euros starting in Germany in five months, Southgate will welcome having to make difficult decisions.