FC Porto star Thiago Silva launches direct appeal to Casemiro over his next move

Porto, Portugal – FC Porto defender Thiago Silva has broken cover and issued a public invitation to Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, urging his compatriot to head to the Estádio do Dragão once his Old Trafford deal expires this summer.

Casemiro, 32, confirmed in January that he will leave United at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign after the club declined to trigger a one-year extension clause in the £70 million move he completed from Real Madrid in 2022. Despite sporadic dips in form, the five-time Champions League winner has remained a pivotal figure under Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim and interim coach Michael Carrick, earning plaudits for his leadership and professionalism. Full-back Noussair Mazraoui recently told reporters that the dressing-room influence of the Brazilian international “will be hugely missed.”

With United ready to remove his sizeable salary from the wage bill, speculation has swirled around Casemiro’s next destination. A return to Brazil has been floated, while interest has also been registered from Major League Soccer sides. Italian heavyweights Juventus and AC Milan are monitoring developments, according to a report carried by The Peoples Person.

Yet it is Thiago Silva, now anchoring Porto’s back line, who has made the most overt pitch. Speaking to TNT Sports Brazil, the 39-year-old centre-back called on Casemiro to reignite their partnership:

“I’d like to play alongside Casemiro again. ‘Casão’ is a special person. He’s had a winning career and I believe his spell here at FC Porto was very good, even if it wasn’t that long. It was beautiful to see ‘Casão’ here, just like Alex Sandro, Danilo, Hulk. Hulk’s story in this museum is incredible.”

Silva, who briefly overlapped with Casemiro during the midfielder’s formative loan at Porto in 2014-15, continued his direct address:

“Having him on our side is much better than having him against us. So we send a little message: ‘Hey Casemiro, are we doing this or not? Are we going to be together again?’ It would be a dream to play again with Casemiro in front of the defence, running, making those crazy tackles and protecting the back line, which is what he knows how to do. If it depends on Thiago Silva, that partnership is already signed.”

Casemiro is expected to line up for United on Sunday when Aston Villa visit Old Trafford for a 14:00 GMT kick-off, but attention is already shifting to where he will be playing come August. Silva’s public courtship adds an intriguing domestic twist to a transfer saga that spans continents and could yet deliver one of the summer’s most eye-catching moves.