Real Madrid appear to have added more depth at right-back. According to Spanish TV channel La Sexta (via Marca), the club has agreed to a deal with FC Porto for Danilo. The contracts have been drawn up and both sides are merely awaiting signatures.
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Per the report, the deal doesn't include defensive midfielder Casemiro, who is on loan at Porto this season.
That, however, is of no benefit to Pinto da Costa. The Porto president was vocal about his desires to keep his two loaned prospects, Casemiro and Atletico Madrid's Oliver Torres, in the local sports paper O Jogo.
"We'll deal with the loanees in due course, but yes, we're interested [in keeping them]," da Costa Said (via Marca). "If it's possible, Oliver and Casemiro are players we're interested in [hanging on to], but now's not the time to discuss that"
Casemiro has been a stalwart defensive midfielder since joining Porto. In five Champions League appearances, the 23-year-old created five total chances and averaged six defensive actions. Only Ricardo Pereira (14) averaged more from midfield.
As for Danilo, his transfer is one to bolster depth, not Madrid's starting XI.
Daniel Carvajal has long secured the starting role at right-back for Real, creating 20 chances in 20 league appearances this season. But with Carlo Ancelotti coming under intense scrutiny for failing to rotate his side, Danilo will provide the Real Madrid boss the ability to do so at right-back in 2015.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via Squawka).
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