A €40m Barcelona star midfielder edges closer to a Saudi departure amid mounting offers from the Middle East.
In a context where every sizeable outgoing deal can help unlock fair play room, the Catalan giants see this operation as a strategic sacrifice: losing a homegrown asset, but gaining crucial funds to push for priority reinforcements in attack and defence while renewing the contracts of key stars.
Internally, there is a growing consensus that sentiment can no longer override balance-sheet reality, especially when a player is not a guaranteed starter but commands strong interest from abroad.
That midfielder is Marc Casado, the 22-year-old La Masia graduate who is edging towards a lucrative €40 million move to the Saudi Pro League, as reported by Fichajes.
After weeks of speculation, Barcelona have effectively accepted that such an offer will be too significant to turn down, given his current squad role and the gap between Saudi and European bids.
Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed clubs are preparing a proposal in the region of €40 million, comfortably eclipsing competing interest from Europe and positioning themselves as favourites for his signature.
Marc Casado has struggled for consistent prominence this season, sitting behind Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and the emerging Marc Bernal in the pecking order, and seeing his minutes fluctuate whenever the first-choice midfield is fully fit.
While the coaching staff value his intensity, tactical discipline and understanding of Barça’s positional play, they cannot guarantee the central role he desires once Gavi is back at full throttle.
If the move goes through, it will underline a harsh reality at Barça: even beloved academy products are not immune when a €40 million lifeline can help drive the next phase of the sporting project.
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