"Thank God not all players look only at salary" - Real Madrid superstar Toni Kroos appears to take a dig at Casemiro's move to Manchester United

In a month-old interview, Real Madrid superstar Toni Kroos admitted that he was saddened by Casemiro’s decision to join Manchester United, implying that the Brazilian’s switch was money-motivated.

One of the most integral members of Real Madrid’s legendary Champions League three-peat (2016, 2017, 2018), Casemiro unexpectedly joined Manchester United this summer. The Red Devils paid €70.65 million for his services and it is believed that the midfielder earns a staggering €420,000 per week at the club (via BolaVIP).

Sharing his thoughts on Casemiro’s transfer to Manchester United, Kroos admitted that he was surprised by his decision. The German midfielder said on Spanish TV (via TeamTalk):

“I was surprised by Casemiro’s departure. It is true that the rumors started two days before, but here there are always many rumors and many times nothing happens.

“But when he told me I was sad because I began to remember all the years with him and the things we won together.”

Kroos then went on to hint that Casemiro’s Manchester United transfer might have been motivated by money. The 2014 World Cup winner said:

“Television money has been significantly higher in England for years and yet it hasn’t resulted in English teams winning everything. Thank God not all players look only at salary but also at winning.”

Kroos and Casemiro played 237 matches together for Real Madrid between the 2014-15 and 2021-22 seasons. They won a whopping 16 trophies together, including four Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles.

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Real Madrid secure Group F top spot with emphatic win over Celtic

Real Madrid, meanwhile, bagged a comfortable 5-1 win over Celtic in their final Champions League Group F match on Wednesday night (November 2). Playing at the Santiago Bernabeu, Los Blancos kept the visitors under the cosh in the first half, going 2-0 up after 21 minutes of play. Luka Modric (6th minute) and Rodrygo (21st minute) both scored from the spot to put Madrid in the driving seat.

Thibaut Courtois made a stunning penalty save (Josip Juranovic) in the 35th minute to maintain his team’s advantage. Marco Asensio (51st minute), Vinicius Junior (61st minute), and Federico Valverde (71st minute) scored three more goals in the second half to take the game away from Celtic. Jota bagged a stunning 84th-minute free-kick to give Celtic fans something to cheer about.

The win took Real Madrid’s point tally to 13 after six games, allowing them to secure top spot in the group ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig (12 points).