Barcelona midfielder would prefer reunion with ex-teammate in Saudi Arabia over Al Hilal move
Marc Casado is one of the few players whose future at FC Barcelona is far from secured heading into the summer transfer window.
The La Masia graduate saw his standing in the team take a hit during last season when he fell down the pecking order under Hansi Flick.
With a number of players already ahead of him, a summer exit has been talked about, with the homegrown star now accepting his fate.
Casado would like to reunite with Inigo Martinez at Al Nassr
As already reported, there has been speculation that Casado could be offered to Al Hilal as part of the operation to bring Joao Cancelo permanently to Barcelona.
Casado open to Inigo Martinez reunion in Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
However, according to Mundo Deportivo, in case of a transfer to Saudi Arabia, the midfielder would prefer a move to Al Nassr, where he would reunite with former teammate Inigo Martinez.
Casado’s agent, Jorge Mendes, who also represents Cancelo, has discussed the midfielder with Al Hilal, who are going through some changes in their sporting hierarchy at the moment.
However, if he were to move to Saudi Arabia, Casado’s preferred destination would be Al Nassr, where former Barcelona defender Martinez is currently playing.
The veteran Spaniard left the Blaugrana to join Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr last summer. And Casado is believed to view that option as a more comfortable environment in which to continue his development.
Barcelona to seek €25 million for Casado
In case of a standalone transfer, Barcelona are expected to demand a fee of around €25 million for Casado in the summer.
Time up for Casado. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Despite the midfielder showing promise in the past couple of seasons, it has become apparent that he no longer holds a prominent role in Flick’s plans.
As things stand, Casado finds himself behind Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal, Gavi, and even Eric Garcia in the pecking order in midfield.
Given the situation, it makes complete sense for the youngster to seek an exit in search of regular minutes while the club would welcome the financial boost from his departure.
With Mendes hard at work to find a new destination for Casado, only time will tell where he ends up in the coming days, even as Barcelona hope to finalise his exit by June 30, when the accounting period for the current financial year closes.
