Real Madrid sign Casemiro

Rio de Janeiro - Spanish football club Real Madrid has exercised its option of signing Sao Paulo loanee Casemiro on a permanent deal.

The 21-year-old joined the Spanish giants on loan in January and made his Liga debut in a 3-1 victory over Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu April 19.

A series of impressive performances for Real Madrid Castilla in Spain’s second tier convinced club president Florentino Perez to make Casemiro’s move a permanent one.

Real Madrid will pay 6.5 million euros for the player, with 80 percent going to SaoPaulo, 15 percent to his agent Julio Fressato and 5 percent to another unnamed representative.

Casemiro has been capped five times for Brazil since making his international debut under Mano Menezes in 2011.