With Porto trying to excercise a purchase option on Brazilian midfielder Casemiro at the end of a succesful one year loan, Real Madrid have scuppered them by buying him back.

"Real Madrid have exercised their option to buy back Casemiro's contract after FC Porto notified us they wished to purchase him outright," Real Madrid said.

Casemiro moved on a year's loan to Porto in July 2014 and the 23-year-old with seven Brazil caps racked up 41 appearances and rave reviews this season.

Spanish media sources say Madrid paid Porto 7.5 million euros to get their man back while Porto had been on the point of paying double that to unlock his full purchase option.