13 Jun 2026 13:43 BST |
4 min read
Atletico Madrid and Manchester United are once again exploring a deal for Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, reports in Spain suggest.
The 22-year-old is coming off a disappointing season on a personal level. While Casado was part of the Barcelona side that retained their LaLiga crown, he was much less involved than he had hoped.
Last year, coming off a promising season, Casado had the opportunity to leave the Catalan giants in search of a guaranteed starting role elsewhere, but he opted to stay put. He was reluctant to depart and determined to nail down a place in Hansi Flick’s side.
However, things ultimately didn’t pan out that way. He started just twice in the Champions League and 10 times in LaLiga in 2025/26. All told, he played just short of 1,400 minutes, being an unused substitute six times in Europe and 14 times in the league.
Unsurprisingly, then, transfer speculation once again ramped up in January. Atletico Madrid, desperate to sign midfielders, wanted Casado, while Man Utd also enquired about him. He once again stayed at Barcelona, but the expectation is now that he will move on.
Atleti “seduce” Casado – but don’t count out Man Utd
Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Casado and Barcelona have come to the mutual decision to part ways this summer. The Blaugrana need sales to fund their big-money summer business, and Casado, obviously, needs to play.
Mundo Deportivo has now provided an update on the situation, confirming that Casado remains intrigued by the prospect of joining Atleti, as he had already been in January. In fact, the 22-year-old is said to be “seduced” by the Madrid outfit.
However, Man Utd are also explicitly mentioned in the article. It is claimed that, since their enquiry in January, they have remained in contact with Casado via superagent Jorge Mendes.
The Portuguese representative is likely to play a key role should Casado end up at Old Trafford. Mendes is said to have a “close” relationship with Man Utd, which could work in their favour in the battle with Atleti for the midfielder’s signature.
Casado also has suitors elsewhere. Bayer Leverkusen, who have a strong Spanish connection due to CEO Fernando Carro, are also keen, while Al-Hilal are long-time admirers.
The Saudi club’s interest is intriguing as Barcelona are currently in talks with them in an attempt to agree a permanent deal for Portugal international Joao Cancelo, who spent the second half of 2025/26 on loan in Catalunya.
The report makes no mention of Casado’s potential cost, but he is unlikely to be too expensive. This is a positive for Man Utd, who want to beef up their midfield with numerous new signings, meaning that they can’t go around splashing the cash on just one player.
The 22-year-old currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €24.2 million and still plenty of potential. Should Man Utd get their hands on him, he could be a shrewd acquisition.
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