Erik Ten Hag has spoken about Raphael Varane and Casemiro and revealed the pair’s winning mentality was why the club were so desperate to sign them.
Varane and Casemiro, formerly of Real Madrid, joined the Red Devils in 2021 and 2022 respectively for a combined £110m.
Since their arrival, both players have been mainstays in Ten Hag’s preferred starting lineups with Varane forming an excellent partnership with Argentine centre-back Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro transforming the side’s midfield.
Speaking about the pair’s most recent performance which saw them beat Barcelona in the Europa League playoff second-leg at Old Trafford on Thursday, and opening up on why he signed them, Ten Hag, who spoke to Sky Sports, said: “It tells a lot about them and their personality, and why we wanted them in our team because they know the pathway to win.
“They’re so strong personalities and they’re so happy with everything because they know it’s not normal, you have to work very hard for it. You have to put a lot of effort in to beat big opponents.”
?? “I think it tells a lot of them and their personalities and why they’ve won so much and why we wanted them to join our team.”
Erik ten Hag on Raphaël Varane and Casemiro’s reaction to beating Barcelona the other night. ? pic.twitter.com/V0wgorXkfy
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 25, 2023