Benfica leads €30m race to sign Barcelona midfielder

Benfica are leading the €30 million race to sign a Barcelona midfielder as the Portuguese club looks to strengthen their midfield.

Having been deemed surplus to requirements under Hansi Flick’s tactical setup, the player has officially been placed on the transfer list, sparking an immediate scramble among Europe’s elite.

While lucrative proposals worth up to €40 million were tabled from Saudi Pro League sides Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli, the midfielder has firmly rejected a move to the Middle East, opting to prioritize his development within top-tier European competition.

Consequently, a fierce three-way race has erupted, with Benfica positioning themselves at the front of the queue alongside AC Milan and Nottingham Forest.

The player subject to this intense bidding war is 22-year-old Marc Casadó, as reported by Fichajes.

Despite registering 75 appearances for the first team and earning his debut for the Spanish national team, Casadó finds his path to regular minutes blocked at Camp Nou.

Super-agent Jorge Mendes recently held crucial meetings in Barcelona to review all concrete offers on the table.

With a contract running through 2028, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has set a non-negotiable asking price of €30 million to authorize his departure, seeking to generate essential transfer revenue to fund late registrations and incoming targets.

Benfica view Casadó as an ideal addition to solidify their central midfield setup, offering him guaranteed minutes in both domestic action and European competition.

However, they face stiff resistance from AC Milan and Nottingham Forest, both of whom are also preparing formal proposals to match Barcelona’s valuation.

With Mendes actively orchestrating negotiations between the interested parties and Barcelona’s hierarchy, final summits are set to take place over the coming hours.

The Catalan side expects a definitive bid matching their €30 million requirement by early next week, bringing an end to Casadó’s chapter at the club and handing Benfica a prime opportunity to seal a high-profile midfield deal.