Real Madrid have exercised an option to take midfielder Casemiro back from Porto, in a complex deal reported to have cost the Liga giants around €7.5 million.
Casemiro, 23, joined Porto in a loan move last summer, with the initial deal reportedly including a clause for the Portuguese club to make the move permanent this summer by paying €15 million.
After the now Brazil international had impressed hugely as his new side reached the Champions League quarterfinals and finished second in the Liga Sagres, that option was last week exercised with Porto saying they hoped Casemiro would now be their player outright.
The deal however also included another clause under which Madrid could themselves keep Casemiro on their books -- reportedly by rejecting the €15 million fee and themselves paying €7.5 million to the Liga Sagres side.
The tangle of negotiations now appears to be over, with Madrid having released an official statement which said it had taken up the option to retain Casemiro's playing rights.
"Real Madrid C. F. has exercised the option to salvage federative rights on the player Casemiro, after FC Porto stated that his buy back clause had been activated," the short statement said.
Casemiro thereby looks set to join the Madrid squad for the 2015-16 campaign, with new coach Rafa Benitez also being able to call on Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Asier Illarramendi and Lucas Silva as his current natural central midfield options.