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Real Madrid have reportedly rejected an approach from Paris Saint-Germain for midfielder Casemiro, telling the Ligue 1 champions the Brazilian is not for sale.
According to Globoesporte (via Marca), Los Blancos are working on a contract renewal for the 26-year-old.
Often an underappreciated member of Real's star-studded midfield, Casemiro has done nothing but win major silverware since moving to the Spanish capital.
He's been part of one of the team's best ever runs in Europe:
Casemiro does the dirty work in midfield, plugging holes and making tackles while the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric distribute play. Without his relentless energy and defensive efforts, those two would have to drop further back, limiting their attacking output.
Plenty of clubs would undoubtedly love to add a player of that caliber, although it's hard to see how PSG would set about such a move.
For starters, Les Parisiens reportedly find themselves in hot water with UEFA regarding financial fair play issues:
In all likelihood, the club will be forced into selling a number of their depth players this summer in a desperate attempt to keep hold of the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Now is not the time to add to their worries by throwing even more money at players.
Convincing Casemiro to leave Real would be another issue―the Brazil international already plays for arguably the biggest club in the world, and a club that tends to win silverware every season.
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Money could be a factor, but if Real are indeed hoping to hand him a new contract, that wouldn't be an issue. PSG were able to land Neymar from Barcelona last year, but he had spent several years in the shadow of Lionel Messi, and Casemiro has no such issues in Spain.
That doesn't mean a transfer is impossible―it's just really unlikely to happen this summer.