Barcelona have aspirations to make two big-money signings this summer, but in order to do so, they will need to raise funds. They are hoping to gain significantly salary space by moving on the likes of Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Robert Lewandowski, but neither would command much of a transfer fee.
Where they could be money coming in is by way of selling Marc Casado. The La Masia graduate has struggled for prominence this season, and with Gavi now back to full fitness, he is now arguably sixth in the midfield pecking order, also behind Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal and Eric Garcia.
Because of this, Barcelona are planning to listen to offers for Casado during the summer transfer window. They recognise that he is a player whose value will also start to depreciate if he remains at the club, and according to Sport, the 22-year-old has also accepted that his time at the Spotify Camp Nou is over.
Casado no longer sees himself in Hansi Flick’s plans for the future, and amid his desire to play more matches, he has decided that a Barcelona exit is in his best interest. All parties are on the same page, so barring a radical change, he will be moving on in the summer.
At this stage, Casado’s most likely destination is Saudi Arabia, with a number of clubs in the Middle East nation keen on signing him. He’s previously attracted interest from Atletico Madrid and the Premier League, so it remains to be seen whether there is any movement from those in the coming weeks.
Barcelona would certainly welcome Casado moving to Saudi Arabia, as this would represent their best chance to receive top dollar for his services. But whether the player himself wants to make that move at this stage of his career remains to be seen.
