Situation heats up: Mendes attempts to save Barcelona from Casado predicament | Goal.com

Published on 02 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 3 minutes

Marc Casadó is part of Barcelona's travelling squad at the team's training camp held at St George's Park, but his future with the Catalan club is becoming increasingly uncertain. He faces a real struggle to earn playing time next season, despite taking part in the team's preparations for the new campaign.

According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", Casadó played 62 minutes in the match that Hansi Flick's side contested against Birmingham City at St Andrew's. He will also feature on Monday against Preston North End.

The midfielder returns to Barcelona on Monday, and he has until the end of August to decide his future.

He knows his chances of playing for Barcelona will be very limited. Flick has told him as much.

Casadó believes his situation may change after the injury to Frenkie de Jong, who will be out for several months, and he feels this could hand him greater opportunities. That is why he is battling during the preparation period. The reality, though, points to Marc Bernal, Pedri and Gavi, and even the versatile Eric García, all ahead of him in the two central midfield positions Flick relies upon in front of the defence to start building play. The German coach has made that clear to the player.

Barcelona received an offer to sign the Catalan midfielder before 30 June, but rejected it because of its financial value.

Worth around 10 million euros, the bid would have helped the Catalan club considerably in presenting a better financial budget for the 2025-2026 season. Barcelona turned it down all the same, valuing Casadó at a much higher figure.

The club are holding out for 30 or 40 million euros for a player who is only 22 years old, is tied to a contract until 2028, and has previously represented the Spanish national team.

Casadó is well aware of his situation, and he need only look at his figures. In the 2024-2025 season, Flick's first on the Barcelona bench, he took part in 36 matches for a total of 2,447 minutes.

Last season, he featured in a similar number of games, 34 in total, but his role declined worryingly. He made do with just 1,397 minutes of playing time, and if he decides to stay, his appearances may shrink even further.

The player knows this after the club informed him of the reality, but for now he is still resisting the idea of leaving. He is deeply attached to Barcelona, and it is very difficult for him to walk away from the club he joined at the age of 13, having come from Dam.

His agent Jorge Mendes has been active, and there has been much talk of Al-Hilal's interest, but Casadó does not want to play in Saudi Arabia. He has also received some offers from Turkey, though the midfielder has not even put them up for consideration.

On that basis, Mendes, one of the most prominent agents of Barcelona's current board of directors, will keep searching for a destination for Casadó during what remains of August.

The problem, alongside the Catalan's desire to keep fighting for minutes with the club of his life, is that he wants to remain in Europe. Only a small number of clubs can pay the amount Barcelona are demanding, but Mendes will continue hunting for an offer that satisfies the wishes of all parties.

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