Casemiro has described his nine-year stint at Real Madrid as "the most wonderful story" as he bid farewell to the club ahead of his switch to Manchester United.

The Red Devils confirmed on Friday that a deal had been struck for the 30-year-old, who has been crucial to Madrid's success in recent seasons, winning the Champions League five times.

It has been widely reported that United are paying £60million (€70.6m) for Casemiro.

Having joined Madrid from Sao Paulo in 2013, Casemiro has established himself as one of the best holding midfielders in world football, and formed a formidable trio alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

He helped Madrid to a Champions League and LaLiga double last season, and was named man of the match in the Super Cup victory over Eintracht Frankfurt earlier in August, albeit that proved his final start for Los Blancos.

In a post on his social media channels, Casemiro wrote: "I have lived the most wonderful story that I ever thought.

"I hope to return one day to what will always be my home. Not in a thousand lifetimes will I be able to give back to Real Madrid all that you have given me. Forever… Hala Madrid!"

Casemiro's midfield partner in crime Modric posted on Instagram: "What a journey! We had a lot of fun and we made history together. Will miss you my friend."

The Brazil international is repeating the path of Raphael Varane, who last year swapped the Santiago Bernabeu for Old Trafford.

"Many battles fought together with my warrior Case! Welcome to Manchester, amigo," Varane posted on Instagram.

Manchester United great Peter Schmeichel is "surprised" by the club's pursuit of Casemiro, expressing doubt as to whether the midfielder can adapt to life in the Premier League.

Erik ten Hag's side are widely reported to be closing in on the capture of the Brazilian from Real Madrid for an initial fee of around £60million (€70.6m), with his weekly wage said to be £350,000.

Such a significant outlay on the 30-year-old, who is set to pen a four-year deal at Old Trafford, has raised eyebrows given the fact he is entering the twilight years of his career.

Schmeichel has further concerns though, as he is not convinced that Casemiro will be able to fit into the role that United are recruiting him for, highlighting the differences to his current position at Madrid.

"I'm surprised, I have to be honest, because Casemiro hasn't been mentioned at all throughout the transfer window, at no point was that name mentioned," he told the BBC's Football Focus.

"I think he's been absolutely fantastic at Real Madrid, I've been impressed with how well he's played. He had an injury, came back and really tightened up the back.

"But what he did at Real Madrid was to sit in front of the back four, just to give them protection, then when they had the ball he took part in play but they had Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to give the ball to, then he just stopped.

"If you're a number six for Manchester United, you are supposed to also drive and take part in the game."

"Ten Hag says he wants to be in possession of the game, to be in control of the game, put pressure on the ball all the time, and that's a big difference from LaLiga. Even playing in the Champions League to playing every week in the Premier League.

"So I'm surprised that this player is now being mentioned at that amount of money with those wages at that age, when we don't know if he can do the job.

"I'm not sure. Maybe sign somebody who we know can play in the Premier League, just for now, then maybe next year or the next transfer window you go and sign the players like Casemiro, exciting players to watch.

"For me, it's an open question, I don't know."

United, who have lost their opening two Premier League matches, have spent much of the transfer window chasing Frenkie de Jong from Madrid's rivals Barcelona.

Antony has thanked Ajax for making him a more complete footballer but suggested his future may lie away from the Eredivisie giants amid links with Manchester United.

Brazil international Antony is said to be the next name on United's list of targets after the Red Devils confirmed on Friday a deal is in place to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid.

The 22-year-old has impressed in his previous two full seasons with Ajax, but he is reported to have sat out training this week in order to push through a move to Old Trafford.

Speaking in an interview with Dutch outlet De Telegraaf published on Saturday, Antony did little to play down talk a transfer ahead of the September 1 deadline.

Asked if he can guarantee he will remain an Ajax player, the Sao Paulo academy product said: "No, to be perfectly honest, I can't.

"What I can say is that I want to come to the right decision with my family, business partners and Ajax, which is good for everyone.

"In the end, God determines my future. I am very happy at Ajax, I have a contract until the summer of 2025 and I will give everything for this beautiful club for every second. 

"I wear the shirt with pride and from day one I feel at home. If we all decide I will stay here, then I know that this is the best thing for me and the club. It’s not like I have to leave.

"Now I am focusing on playing football and have put all other matters in the hands of my agents and my brother. They will advise me on what is best.

"Thanks to Ajax I have become a more complete footballer, more effective especially and more of a team player. Every day I want to become a better footballer."

Antony is reported to be valued in excess of €80million (£67.9m) by Ajax, whom he scored 12 goals for and assisted a further 10 from 33 appearances last season.

He has started the 2022-23 campaign in good form with two goals in his first three outings under new head coach Alfred Schreuder.

The winger spent his first two seasons with Ajax playing under Erik ten Hag, who has endured a terrible start to his United tenure since swapping clubs earlier this year.

The Dutchman is the first manager to lose his first two games in charge of United in 101 years, having gone down 2-1 to Brighton and Hove Albion and 4-0 to Brentford so far.

But Antony, who is in line to be part of Brazil's World Cup squad later this year, has backed his former head coach to turn things around at Old Trafford.

"Erik has been super important to me. I am grateful to him and wish him all the best," he said. "I will always cheer for Erik after working so closely together.

"I have not been able to celebrate or cheer for him as he got no points yet. I couldn't until now anyway and that makes me sad. 

"But knowing Erik, I am convinced that he will turn the tide soon. Manchester United will improve at his hand. At his previous clubs he has proven that his method works."

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire could be on his way to Stamford Bridge amid reports that Chelsea have enquired about including him in a swap for Christian Pulisic.

Chelsea have been aggressive in their hunt for centre-backs during this transfer period after Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left the club.

But while they have secured the services of Kalidou Koulibaly, they are still after at least one more, having previously enquired about Matthijs de Ligt, Martin Skriniar and a number of others.

Pulisic has been a recurring name when it comes to players Chelsea are seemingly willing to part ways with, and while a loan move has been weighed up, a swap for Maguire could solve problems for both clubs if United feel he is no longer part of Erik ten Hag's vision.

TOP STORY – BLOCKBUSTER SWAP COULD SEND UNITED CAPTAIN TO CHELSEA

Chelsea have made their interest in 21-year-old Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana clear, but if they are not willing to meet the gaudy £85millon asking price, a swap deal for a player surplus to requirements would be far more palatable.

For United, who are reportedly operating under a stricter budget, landing a 23-year-old with 19 goals and 10 assists over the past three Premier League seasons in exchange for a 29-year-old centre-back could be exactly what they are looking for, but it all depends on how Ten Hag values Maguire.

According to the Daily Mail's report, there is a belief Maguire may be dropped from United's team set to play Liverpool this weekend, which would only add fuel to the fire.

ROUND UP

– The Athletic reports that Chelsea have offered £15million plus left-back Marcos Alonso to Barcelona in their bid for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

– According to the Telegraph, Real Madrid are considering a move for Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as a potential replacement for Casemiro.

– 90min claim Newcastle United and West Ham are monitoring United's Scott McTominay if he is squeezed out by the arrival of Casemiro.

– Leeds United are hoping to secure a £4m move for 18-year-old FC Zurich striker Willy Gnonto, who became Italy's youngest ever senior international goalscorer in a loss to Germany in June.

– Mail Online reports that Arsenal expect Bukayo Saka to sign a new contract at Emirates Stadium, despite interest from rival clubs including Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool to be awarded the three points if their game with Manchester United on Monday at Old Trafford is called off due to fan protests.

United supporter group 'The 1958' this week announced plans to protest against the "vile ownership" and show the Glazer family "this time it will not blow over."

Fan protests ahead of the game between the two clubs in May 2021, when fans gained access to the stadium despite the game being scheduled behind closed doors due to COVID-19 protocols, caused the contest to be postponed, with Liverpool winning the rearranged fixture 4-2 a week and a half later.

When asked at a press conference on Friday if the club has made plans for a similar situation on Monday, Klopp said: "Yeah, we will get on the bus and go home.

"I really hope it doesn't happen but if it happens I think we should get the points. We have nothing to do with the situation. If that happens the supporters want the game to not happen then we cannot just rearrange the game again and fit it in somewhere in an incredibly busy [calendar].

"I don't think and really hope this will not happen. I have no idea what could happen, I don't think about it. Hopefully, we are fine, we go there, play the game and go home. But if, and I think always in this situation like this, the other team should get the points because they have nothing to do with it. They have prepared for it."

Neither side has won a game yet this season after two matches each, with Liverpool drawing twice and United losing both matches.

Questions are already being asked about whether new Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag will be able to get his team to play his pressing style effectively, and Klopp refused to comment on a query about if United's squad would be capable of adapting.

However, he did provide some insight to his own experience when he arrived at Liverpool in October 2015, citing his first game in charge - a goalless draw at Tottenham.

"I loved our first game," he reminisced. "We had two days. It was a Saturday game so the players came back from internationals on the Wednesday, and we had Thursday, Friday, not really to train, to recover and then to have one session.

"For the first impression of an idea, it was outstanding. I still can see Adam Lallana flying around and pressing everybody who had a different shirt, so that was really cool. A cool first sign for me, yeah, but that's it."

Real Madrid have expressed "gratitude and appreciation" to "exemplary player" Casemiro ahead of his move to Manchester United.

United have agreed a fee reported to be £60million plus £10m in add-ons to take the midfielder to Old Trafford.

The Brazil international is set to sign a four-year deal with the Red Devils, who are bottom of the Premier League after losing their first two Premier League games under new boss Erik ten Hag.

Casemiro joined Los Blancos in January 2013 at the age of 20 and has gone on to win 18 trophies - including the Champions League five times, three LaLiga titles and the Club World Cup on three occasions.

The 30-year-old will appear before the media in the press room at Real Madrid City on Monday, when president Florentino Perez will be present as the LaLiga champions stage a ceremony to bid farewell to the long-serving enforcer.

Madrid paid tribute to Casemiro after confirming a deal has been agreed with the Red Devils on Friday.

A statement on the club's official website said: "Real Madrid would like to express its gratitude and appreciation to Casemiro, who is part of the club's history."

After listing his many honours during his time in the Spanish capital, the European champions added: "In addition to this brilliant list of achievements, Casemiro will always be remembered by the Madridistas as representing the values of our club. An exemplary player who has given his all for Real Madrid.

"Real Madrid is and always will be his home, and we wish him and all his family the best of luck in this new chapter of his life.

With United facing Liverpool on the same day of Casemiro's press conference in Madrid, his debut could come at Southampton a week on Saturday.

Manchester United have agreed a deal in principle to sign midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid for a fee in the region of £60million.

The Brazil international is set to become the fourth arrival of this window after Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez.

Casemiro, who had three years remaining on his contract with Madrid, brings plenty of quality and experience to Erik ten Hag's midfield after racking up over 300 appearances during nine trophy-filled years at Santiago Bernabeu.

Indeed, the 30-year-old won five Champions Leagues with Los Blancos - scoring against Juventus in the 2017 final - as well as four LaLiga titles and three Club World Cups.

Casemiro struggled to nail down a regular spot following his move to Madrid from Sao Paulo in 2013; spending the 2014-15 season on loan at Portuguese giants Porto.

However, he did not look back after cementing his place in the starting line-up during the 2015-16 campaign, with no midfielder winning more tackles in LaLiga since then (415).

The Brazilian has also completed 368 interceptions in the past seven seasons - with Dani Garcia (399) the sole midfielder to better that tally - while Dani Parejo (1,666) and Sergio Busquets (1,504) were the only players in his position to win possession on more occasions than him (1,462).

Ten Hag has been keen to bolster his ranks in midfield ever since assuming the reins at Old Trafford, with Eriksen's arrival the first piece of that jigsaw.

But by and large it has been a window of frustration for United, who have spent the majority of the past few months pursuing Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong only to hit several bumps in the road.

A deal was reportedly agreed with Juventus for Adrien Rabiot only for that transfer to break down due to the player's excessive wage demands.

That led United to Casemiro, with rumours over the move only surfacing on Thursday.

But the transfer appeared all but done when Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Casemiro had expressed a desire to complete a move away from the Spanish capital.

"We've spoken this morning, he wants to try a new challenge, a new opportunity. I understand this, also the club does," Ancelotti said on Friday.

"Because of what he has done in this club, his desire and due to everything he has done for this team, we need to be respectful of this.

"There are negotiations between the clubs, he is still a Real Madrid player but it looks like he is now willing to depart. If he is departing we have a lot of resources to replace him.

"I've always talked a lot with him in my second time at Real Madrid. I just listened to his desire, I think there's no turning back. This is what he wants."

Jurgen Klopp has joked Mohamed Salah "found a right foot on holiday" as he hailed the forward's continued development ahead of Monday's trip to Manchester United.

Salah has picked up from where he left off last season with two goals and an assist in Liverpool's opening three games of the 2022-23 campaign.

The Egypt international has also created 12 chances across those three outings, which is five more than next-best Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Indeed, only Borussia Monchengladbach's Alassane Plea and Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar (both 13) have created more chances this term across Europe's top five leagues.

And as Salah looks to match Thierry Henry in winning the Premier League Golden Boot for a record fourth time, Klopp believes the 30-year-old is only getting better with time.

"I think he found a right foot on holiday. He always develops. It's really crazy," Klopp told Sky Sports. 

"This year he arrived with crosses with his right foot. He's obviously a top professional and he really tries to add on things into his game.

"He is a top, top, top striker and with the numbers he had, not only scoring-wise but assisting-wise as well, it's big."

Salah has scored eight goals in his past four games against United in all competitions, netting six of those at Old Trafford, including a hat-trick in this fixture last season.

He has nine goals against United overall and could become the first Liverpool player ever to reach double figures against their fierce rivals.

"I'm pretty sure he knows that," Klopp said what that statistic was put to him. "I didn't know it but I'm pretty sure Mo knows it, so good news!"

Salah signed a new three-year deal at Anfield last month, coming on the back of fellow forward Sadio Mane's departure to Bayern Munich.

Liverpool offset that exit by bringing in Darwin Nunez from Benfica, while Luis Diaz has made a big impact since arriving from Porto midway through last season.

Diaz rescued Liverpool a 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace on Monday after Nunez was sent off and Klopp has been impressed by his swift adaptation to a new league.

"He had to play immediately because [Salah and Mane] were at the Africa Cup of Nations, so that helped him settle in," Klopp said.

"That gave him immediate confidence. It's his quality, his talent, his skill set. He's a really good player. We knew it before and when you're really good it's easier to settle in.

"He has this special thing: He can score from outside the box, which for a striker is really important. He's very, very important for us."

Manchester United have agreed a deal in principle to sign midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid for a fee in the region of £60million.

The Brazil international is set to become the fourth arrival of this window after Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez.

Casemiro, who had three years remaining on his contract with Madrid, brings plenty of quality and experience to Erik ten Hag's midfield after racking up over 300 appearances during nine trophy-filled years at Santiago Bernabeu.

Indeed, the 30-year-old won five Champions Leagues with Los Blancos - scoring against Juventus in the 2017 final - as well as four LaLiga titles and three Club World Cups.

Casemiro struggled to nail down a regular spot following his move to Madrid from Sao Paulo in 2013; spending the 2014-15 season on loan at Portuguese giants Porto.

However, he did not look back after cementing his place in the starting line-up during the 2015-16 campaign, with no midfielder winning more tackles in LaLiga since then (415).

The Brazilian has also completed 368 interceptions in the past seven seasons - with Dani Garcia (399) the sole midfielder to better that tally - while Dani Parejo (1,666) and Sergio Busquets (1,504) were the only players in his position to win possession on more occasions than him (1,462).

Casemiro's imminent arrival at Old Trafford will greatly enhance Manchester United's midfield options but will not resolve all of the club's problems.

That is according to former United striker Louis Saha, who also told Stats Perform that Cristiano Ronaldo was wrong to ask for a move.

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed on Friday that Casemiro is set to leave the Santiago Bernabeu, with United reported to have agreed a £51million (€60m) fee.

Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner with Madrid, is one of a number of midfielders to have been linked with the Red Devils.

Having appeared to have missed out on Frenkie de Jong and Adrien Rabiot, Casemiro's move to Old Trafford could be completed as early as this weekend.

While the Brazil international will bring a number of qualities to United, Saha believes his former side's issues run far deeper than simply bringing in a new midfielder.

United find themselves bottom of the Premier League for the first time since August 1992, which is the only previous occasion they lost their opening two games in the competition.

"It's a massive signing," Saha said. "But it is not a midfielder, it is not a striker, it is not a defender, goalkeeper or other transfers that are going to solve United’s problems. 

"So don't be stupid in thinking, 'Oh, okay, we signed the big player who won the Champions League a few times, all our problems will be solved'. 

"He'll really help the strikers to feel more confident that they have a certain kind of base that helps a team that wants to win titles. But he won't solve every player’s problems."

Casemiro is set to become United's fourth signing of the window following the arrivals of Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez.

A number of first-team players have exited Old Trafford since the end of last season, meanwhile, with Paul Pogba the highest-profile departure to date.

The future of Ronaldo remains in the balance ahead of the September 1 deadline, although a number of teams have opted out of making an approach for the forward.

Ronaldo is reported to have asked for a transfer just a year after rejoining United, which Saha believes has left the Red Devils in a difficult situation.

"I respect so much Cristiano and I think he's in this bracket as such a special player that I completely understand the way to manage this is not easy," he said.

"Cristiano's a massive player and got 24 goals last year. That has a massive impact on the opposition because they fear him.

"It's a difficult position. But on the same terms, we can recognise that he has put the club in a very difficult situation, because he hasn't maybe spoken out at the right moment.

"I think the timing and the essence of this could have been kept a bit more private, until the deal is done or nearly done because of the respect that you have about the situation. 

"The manager is trying to build a team, and you're saying you're unsettled and you want to leave. It's really hard. I don't think that he was right."

Ronaldo scored 18 Premier League goals last season – only Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min (both 23) scored more – and netted a team-high 24 in all competitions.

Bruno Fernandes was the only other United player to reach double figures, finding the back of the net 10 times.

Saha, who won four trophies in five seasons with United, feels it is down to others to step up rather than Ronaldo if the five-time Ballon d'Or winner stays.

"He got 24 goals last season and shut all the criticism in terms of his personal ability, and that was in a team not playing well," Saha said.

"He is the only goalscorer who's got more than 10 goals, which is a joke. I mean, that's not normal. 

"No other players could support when he wasn't scoring. We've seen bits from Bruno Fernandes, who is a bit of a shadow of the player he was before the arrival of Cristiano. 

"The club and the other players haven't performed to facilitate a good rehabilitation for Cristiano Ronaldo's comeback."

It is easy to imagine how Manchester United landed on Casemiro's name in the week that followed their shambolic 4-0 defeat at Brentford.

United were preyed upon by the Brentford press, giving up three chances and two goals from high turnovers as Christian Eriksen – a false nine in their previous match – ended up as the deepest midfielder and struggled badly.

Through two games, no Premier League side have allowed more shots following high turnovers than United (eight).

At the very least, Casemiro – a five-time Champions League winner anchoring one of the great modern midfields at Real Madrid – should make United harder to play against.

Yet the 30-year-old, whose arrival at Old Trafford appears imminent, possesses a vastly different profile to the previous two midfielders United very publicly pursued – ultimately unsuccessfully.

The progression from Frenkie de Jong to Adrien Rabiot to Casemiro was not a particularly obvious one, but have the Red Devils now ended up with the right man?

No more 'McFred'

Few United fans who have seen their 'McFred' midfield repeatedly overrun in recent seasons would complain about the club recruiting an upgrade on Fred.

The numbers would suggest that is what they are buying in Casemiro, who is comparable to his Brazil team-mate by several metrics.

Only two LaLiga midfielders made more recoveries than Casemiro (230) last season, yet his 8.0 per 90 were topped by Fred's 8.7. Fred matched Casemiro for tackles per 90 (both 2.8) and edged him in terms of interceptions (1.4 to 1.3).

However, Casemiro's physical presence ensured he won 59.7 per cent of his duels, far outperforming Fred's 47.8 per cent.

And the Madrid man, crucially, is more effective with the ball once he has won it.

Carlo Ancelotti's side attempted 43 shots at the end of sequences that started with Casemiro recovering possession, seeing the midfielder lead LaLiga in this regard and trail only Marcelo Brozovic (44) across Europe's top five leagues.

Although just 27.6 per cent of Casemiro's passes were played forward – versus Fred's 30.4 per cent – he was at the heart of so many Madrid attacks.

Casemiro played 34 passes to players who immediately created chances for team-mates, which compared very favourably with Rabiot (12), Scott McTominay (18), Fred (19) and, indeed, De Jong (22).

Carrying United's hopes

There was an obvious appeal to the attempted signing of De Jong, who would have offered something different to the United midfield.

Highly skilled with the ball at his feet, De Jong's carries progressed the play 113.6 metres upfield per 90 last season. United's five midfielders (Fred, McTominay, Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek) have progressed the ball only 384m combined so far this season – or 192m per 90.

Casemiro clearly cannot offer this dynamism either, given he carried the ball just 54.3m upfield per 90 last term.

And United could seemingly still benefit from a player of De Jong's talents, as Casemiro is used to being able to rely on others in midfield to fulfil this role; he was by far Madrid's least progressive midfield carrier in 2021-22, behind Toni Kroos (80.6m), Luka Modric (85.7m), Eduardo Camavinga (91.1m) and Federico Valverde (133.3m).

But considering the difficulties in getting that deal done with Barcelona, United's scattergun approach has at least – via Rabiot – picked out a player capable of helping them both with and without the ball.

No Premier League team has conceded more goals at this early stage than United, while they have only netted themselves courtesy of an own goal.

One man alone may not be able to get United's season back on track, but Casemiro is primed to give it a good go.

Casemiro has been left out of Real Madrid's squad for their trip to Celta Vigo as he nears a transfer to Manchester United.

On Thursday, reports emerged that United were confident of striking a deal for Casemiro, who has been crucial to Madrid's success under Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane.

The 30-year-old trained with Madrid's squad on Friday but Ancelotti confirmed at his pre-match news conference that talks were under way with United.

Ancelotti was unsure if Casemiro would definitely be unavailable for Saturday's LaLiga meeting with Celta, but the Brazil international has now been left out of Los Blancos' squad, suggesting the £51million (€60m) move to Old Trafford is close to completion.

Madrid's coach is confident he has the players within his squad to replace Casemiro, and name-checked new signing Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos as possibilities in the holding role.

Kroos, however, will not be available for Saturday's match, with reports suggesting he has fallen ill with flu.

Erik ten Hag sidestepped questions over Manchester United's pursuit of Casemiro on Friday, with the Dutchman stating he could not comment on the matter.

Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro looks poised to make the move from La Liga to Old Trafford for a reported fee of £51million (€60m).

Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed the Brazil international is set to leave and his arrival would give United a huge lift after a poor start under new boss Ten Hag.

A 4-0 Premier League rout at the hands of Brentford on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion demonstrated the Red Devils' frailties.

Ten Hag refused to give a definitive answer when questioned about a move for Casemiro.

"I cannot tell [you] anything," he stated ahead of his side's home encounter with Liverpool on Monday.

As he prepares for the visit of Jurgen Klopp's Reds - who themselves arrive on the back of a frustrating start to the season - the Dutchman says he has not deviated from his plans despite a thrashing at Brentford that leaves his side bottom of the table.

"Every game is different, but the philosophy and the plan will be the same," he added. "I know the rivalry. We are rivals. We have to win every game, but especially this game."

The former Ajax head coach says United must get the basics right after a shambolic display against the Bees in London.

"I think I made myself clear, I was definitely not happy," he reflected. "You can talk about football philosophy, but the basic stuff has to be good.

"That starts with the right attitude, a fighting attitude on the pitch. I didn’t see that from minute one. You have to bring it every game. A lot went wrong.

"But you don't have to talk about anything when the attitude is not right. It's not difficult to motivate this team. They worked really [well] on the training pitch from the start of the season.

"It starts with yourself. Follow the rules and principles and work hard. If you do that, you will get confidence. We work from game to game.

"We know what is going on when you play against Liverpool, especially when you are Manchester United. You have to be ready."

Gabriel Agbonlahor responded to Jurgen Klopp's criticism of his "mentality" on Friday with a Twitter post remembering his winner against Liverpool at Anfield.

Agbonlahor's analysis of Manchester United's 4-0 defeat to Brentford last week so frustrated Klopp he almost rang in to talkSPORT to talk to the former Aston Villa striker, the Liverpool manager revealed.

Agbonlahor's scathing review of United's poor performance was "unbelievable" coming from an ex-player, Klopp suggested.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of Liverpool facing rivals United, the Reds boss said: "[Agbonlahor] lost against us 6-0 my first year [Villa v Liverpool, Feb 2016].

"I couldn't remember him as a mentality monster on the pitch, but what he said about United on that show, I was close to calling in!"

Yet Agbonlahor appeared to enjoy that barb, as he posted an image of his celebration in a 1-0 win against Liverpool in September 2014 – a year before Klopp's appointment at Anfield.

"Flashback Friday – mentality to win 1-0 at Anfield," read Agbonlahor's caption.

That was one of only three Premier League wins Agbonlahor enjoyed against Liverpool in 18 attempts, scoring twice and providing three assists.

Real Madrid have what it takes in the squad to replace Manchester United-bound Casemiro, according to Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti confirmed on Friday that Casemiro had expressed his desire to leave Madrid in order to join United.

The holding midfielder, who has been crucial to Madrid's success under both Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, is in line to move to Old Trafford for a fee in the region of £51million (€60m), with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £59.4m (€70m).

While Ancelotti has no issues with the 30-year-old's want for a new challenge, Casemiro's departure leaves a void in Madrid's midfield, with the Brazil international having formed a formidable trio with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

That midfield conquered Europe last season and led Madrid to Ancelotti's first LaLiga title, and Casemiro's quality was on show again in last week's Super Cup as Los Blancos defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0.

Casemiro was named man of the match after making nine successful tackles and recovering possession 10 times, which were both game highs.

Since the 2015-16 season, Casemiro has won 415 tackles in LaLiga alone, a far better tally than second-best Saul Niguez (382).

Yet with Madrid having signed Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco and the versatility of Kroos, Ancelotti is confident he already has the options in midfield to plug the gap.

"Casemiro has been a key player, who fits perfectly with Kroos and Luka Modric. It's been an incredible combination for all the success we've had in the last few years," Ancelotti said in a news conference.

"Within the squad we have a lot of good replacements. Tchouameni was signed in order to play in this position. We have some other options like Kroos who can play in this position, as he did in the second year I was here as a coach back in 2014 when we won 22 games in a row.

"Replacing Casemiro with another player with his same skills is difficult but we have other players ready to replace him with other characteristics. They can play in this position, but not with the same skills.

"We need to keep in mind that a player like Casemiro, defensively, is more similar to Tchouameni than Kroos, but Toni has some different characteristics and can also play in that position."

Kroos displayed his ball-winning abilities in the Super Cup, as he regained possession nine times, second only to Casemiro, while also having 120 touches and completing 97 passes.

When it was put to Ancelotti that the former Germany international had previously suggested he does not enjoy playing in a holding role, Madrid's boss quipped: "He has never told me that. If he tells me that, it doesn't matter, he will play there!"

Asked if Casemiro had provided his reasons for wanting to leave, Ancelotti said: "I cannot answer. It's his personal decision, he wants to try a new challenge and he's the one who has to explain this.

"Something similar happened when I was Milan's coach. I was feeling really good but I wanted to try something new, even if I was feeling very well there because that club was a family to me, but I thought about trying something new, a new experience, another league and language. It's personal but I understand it.

"He shows his will for this new challenge. We have to respect it. We are not sad, not angry, but at a personal level when you spend so many years with this kind of player, so kind, so professional, it's normal that you're not happy, but we will show respect for his decision."