Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde admitted that he hops Manchester United target Casemiro stays at the Bernabeu beyond the end of the transfer window.
Los Blancos' Uruguayan 24-year-old wants his midfield partner to stay at the European champions, although he revealed the Brazilian is yet to break his silence concerning the potential move.
Valverde and Casemiro have already played 116 games together in the Spanish capital, and although the 30-year-old is thought to have a good relationship with manager Carlo Ancelotti, he is yet to give any indication of his plans.
Asked about his team-mate's potential move outside Real's training ground, Valverde said: 'He hasn't said anything, I don't know anything. Of course [I want him to stay].'
Since Valverde's emergence in the first team in 2018, the two south American midfielders have combined in sides that have won two LaLiga title, a Champions League, two Spanish Super Cups, a Club World Cup and a UEFA Supercup.
Casemiro has three years left on his current contract at the Bernabeu but is being offered the chance to make a huge payday at the age of 30, with United ready to offer the Brazilian a five year contract.
And despite the fact that any move to United would mean forsaking Champions League football, the prospect of a longer contract is understood to be highly attractive.
And it is unlikely that such a deal would be forthcoming at the Spanish champions, if treatment of club legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos in recent years is anything to go by.
Casemiro has played his entire European career at Madrid save for a brief spell on loan at Porto.
He has had his head turned by an adventure elsewhere before and would have considered a move to Paris had Zinedine Zidane taken the PSG job.
And the Red Devils have set themselves the ambitious deadline of Friday to complete a move so that he might be able to play against Liverpool in Monday's grudge match as both sides continue to look for their first win of the season.
United have pursued Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong all season in the hopes of bringing. a a new midfielder to Old Trafford, but look to have diverted their attentions to their arch-nemesis Real Madrid.
