Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is reportedly intending to finish his playing career at Old Trafford after a quick adaptation to life in the Premier League.
After the Red Devils' lengthy pursuit of Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong failed to bear fruit last summer, Erik ten Hag turned his attention to the five-time Champions League winner.
During his first season in English football, Casemiro has been a formidable presence in Ten Hag's midfield, shining with a set of tough-tackling displays.
The 31-year-old has also carried a threat at the other end of the field with five goals and six assists from 39 appearances, scoring two and setting up three more in 19 Premier League outings.
A pair of top-flight red cards have been a minor blot on Casemiro's notebook, but the Brazil international's debut campaign for the 20-time English champions has been a wholly positive one.
© Reuters
Thanks to Casemiro's influence, the Red Devils ended their six-year trophy drought in the EFL Cup, while they are also fourth in the Premier League table and vying for success in the FA Cup and Europa League.
Man United forked out a whopping €70.7m (£63.2m) to prise Casemiro away from the Bernabeu last summer, and he is contracted to the Red Devils until 2026 with the option of a further year.
However, the midfielder's Brazil teammate Danilo recently talked up the prospect of Casemiro moving to Juventus, where he would also link up with fellow compatriots Alex Sandro and Bremer.
"The perception of Brazilian footballers has changed and so where there was once a clash with Juve, all of these players could come here and be in the team for years. I'd love to have Casemiro. He'd be at home here," The Express quotes Danilo as saying.
The right-back's calls will seemingly fall on deaf ears, though, as The Mirror claims that Casemiro is planning to hang up his boots when his time at Old Trafford comes to an end.
© Reuters
Should Man United trigger their one-year extension option, Casemiro will be 35 by the time his deal runs out, and his agent Oscar Ribot has laid any fears of an early exit to rest.
"Case has signed for four years plus one. He's come to win titles; this month has been hard, but there's nothing else on his mind," Ribot recently told The Guardian.
Prior to linking up with the Red Devils, Casemiro won five Champions League crowns, three Club World Cups and three La Liga titles during a nine-year stay at Real Madrid, while he has also represented Porto and Sao Paulo during his illustrious career.
The 70-cap Brazil international returns from a four-match domestic ban for Sunday's Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest, having also completed 90 minutes of Thursday's 2-2 Europa League quarter-final first-leg draw with Sevilla.
Ben Knapton
