Scout Report: Carlos Henrique Casemiro

Brazil is the hotbed of footballing talent in the world. The list of talent produced in the tropical climes of the country is endless. Be it Ronaldo, Pele, Kaka, Ronaldinho or others, the country has since long been a factory to the footballing world, especially Europe.

The latest Brazilians to arrive in Europe and shake up the world are Neymar, Oscar and Lucas Moura. But I think that there is one man who, although has huge potential, is not getting the recognition he deserves. The player I refer to is the Brazilian midfielder Carlos Henrique Casemiro.

Player Profile

Casemiro was loaned in by Real Madrid from Sao Paulo FC, with an option to buy if he impressed the Madrid hierarchy. The holding midfielder made 15 appearances for Castilla and played for the senior team against Real Betis in the league. Casemiro is predominantly a holding midfielder. He was a crucial part of the Brazil team that won the under-20 World Cup. He is predominantly right footed and has the ability to play accurate balls behind the defense. Madrid’s midfield, apart from Luka Modric, is on the older side, and the club has a chance to groom this youngster.

But the player has faced accusations of having an inflated head, i.e taking too much pride in himself. Signing for Madrid will surely rid him of this problem. The dressing room at the Bernabeu is filled with stars who are much bigger than him in the footballing world. Also, sources have revealed his love for partying hard. Madrid’s nightlife is wild to say the least, and the new manager will have a tough task reining in the party loving Casemiro.

Playing Style

Casemiro at times plays like a European defender. With a height of 1.84 meters or just over six feet, he is good in the air, and is uncompromising when it comes to making tackles. He functions best when placed at the base of a midfield three or as a holding midfielder. As he showed against Real Betis, he is a tough man to dispossess. But there is more to him than just bullishness in midfield. Like all Brazilian footballers, he too has a creative spark in him. He is quick on the ball, and is an excellent reader of the game. However, Casemiro’s strength is his ability to break down opposition attacks through well timed interceptions. He makes surging runs from midfield and has the pace to get back in time and foil opposition attacks.

What he brings to Madrid

Obviously the first thing that comes to mind is stability. In signing a starlet, Madrid have shown that they want to build for the future. Casemiro would not be a first-team regular, but he does have the chance to showcase his talents to the world. In Casemiro, Madrid have attempted to find a player who fits into the ‘Sami Khedira’ mold. The similarities between the Khedira and Casemiro are striking. Both are quick, adept in the air, effective in attack, tough tacklers and brilliant readers of the game. Casemiro has a chance to develop into a player as good as Khedira or even better.

Conclusion

All in all, an intelligent purchase by the Real Madrid hierarchy. I would even say that the price he has been acquired at (reportedly 6 million euros) is a bargain. Filled with potential, Casemiro could be a world class midfielder one day. Also, he seems like one of those players who put in a solid shift no matter what. In a team that has always been filled with fluctuating stars, this could just be the dose of stability required.