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Transfer roundup: Two one-club legends on the move

By on July 11, 2015

One-club footballers are quickly going the way of dinosaurs and dodos. The majority of the last great batch are bowing out and moving on, with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Iker Casillas, for example, spending their storied careers at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and now appearing set to move on this summer. Both are World Cup and UEFA Champions League winners and both want to continue playing at the highest level for as long as possible. Manchester United’s and FC Porto’s gain will be the loss of their home clubs. Richard Lewis takes a look at the pending moves of these two club legends.

All change at Old Trafford!

Another summer spending splurge by Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is set to take off with the marquee arrival of German international Bastian Schweinsteiger at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have already splashed on young Dutchman Memphis Depay from PSV Eindhoven for £31 million earlier this summer, and have recently wrapped up their second transfer with the £12.7 million move for Torino defender Matteo Darmian. The two deals for the double D’s of Depay and Darmian may have potential and pricey transfer fees, but the wages and signature of Schweinsteiger is an even larger statement of intent from United.

The 30-year-old is a massive name (quite literally!) in football, even for a club with the history of United. Schweinsteiger has made 536 appearances for Bayern since his debut in 2002 — thirteen years in the Bundesliga will conclude with many medals and memories. And while he will leave his one-club tag behind, Schweinsteiger will surely step into a pivotal role in Van Gaal’s lineup. Schweinsteiger has been in England for quite a while now, supporting his girlfriend Ana Ivanovic at Wimbledon.

Last summer, two of Van Gaal’s biggest signings in Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria failed to match lofty expectations. Schweinsteiger, however, has experience far beyond his age of thirty, becoming a consistent starter for Bayern Munich as a teenager, which sets him apart. Or so Van Gaal would hope. In fact, Schweinsteiger was a part of the Germany team that beat Di Maria’s Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final.

With Falcao gone and a move to Fenerbahce seeming imminent for Robin van Persie, Van Gaal will rely on Wayne Rooney and James Wilson up front in United’s tour of the United States. The Dutch boss has suggested Depay may be deployed as a forward in the coming season but Van Gaal may turbot the war chest again. The moves for Depay, Darmian and Schweinsteiger will not in any way mean the chest will be put away and United have been linked with Southampton’s French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.

Then there is United’s goalkeeper headache, as David de Gea seems to be pushing for a move to Real Madrid. De Gea could be replacing fellow Spain international Casillas between the sticks at the Bernabeu very soon, which brings us nicely into the next section…

Casillas calls time on Madrid journey!

Iker Casillas has lifted every trophy possible in his twenty-five-year stay with Real Madrid, including three Champions Leagues and five La Liga titles, and the Spanish national team, for which he has a record 162 caps, as well. The 34-year-old will head west for Portugal to continue playing Champions League football with Porto, but it will a strange day should Casillas meet his former employers in European competition next season.

For a goalkeeper, Casillas is still relatively young to move on in his career but recent Madrid managers Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and now Rafael Benitez have all played a part in Casillas’ exit — all former Chelsea bosses. Take what you will from that.

Similar to Steven Gerrard and Xavi this summer, the goalkeeper will leave his boyhood club behind for more game time and a new challenge. The confirmation of Casillas’ exit only further suggests that Madrid are confident that they will snatch De Gea from United. This summer has shown how far players are willing to move to expand their playing time and while Schweinsteiger and Casillas are leaving their respective boyhood clubs, it is hardly time to call their glittering careers.

Photo credit: Майоров Владимир, via Wikimedia Commons

About Richard Lewis

Richard Lewis can relate almost anything to football and quite often does! You may have seen Richard's previous ideas and work in the BBC Match of the Day Magazine, from 2011 to present. He is a Manchester United and England fan, but has gone to see Leyton Orient play with his O's season ticket in the 2013/14 campaign. Aside from football, Richard has written articles on Doctor Who and studies English Language and Linguistics at the University of Westminster. Aspiring sports journalist.