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Barcelona star makes SHOCK transfer decision after Man Utd talks
Tom Weber
- Updated: 13 Feb 2026 18:44 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado is fielding interest from Manchester United and other Premier League clubs, but he could snub a move to England in favour of a surprise destination.
The 22-year-old has experienced a mixed season in Catalunya so far. Although he continues to play under Hansi Flick, he is not getting as many minutes as last term and no longer appears to enjoy the full trust of the coach.
On Thursday, Barcelona endured a nightmare first half in their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg away at Atletico Madrid. Flick's men were torn apart and went into the half-time break at 4-0 down. Casado was hauled off by the German after 37 minutes with the score 3-0.
Current ETV
Marc Casadó
DM, M (C)
Barcelona
Marc Casadó
DM, M (C)
Barcelona
ETV Range
€28.1M - €34.4M
It was emblematic of a season that has not gone to plan on a personal level. Last summer, Casado turned down approaches from numerous Premier League clubs because, after an impressive 2024/25 campaign, he thought he would go on to establish himself as an indispensable part of the side.
That hasn't happened, leaving his future uncertain. In January, Man Utd reportedly enquired about his potential availability as they looked for a midfield reinforcement that ultimately did not arrive.
Casado to... Saudi Arabia?
Despite the high-profile interest from around Europe, AS posits that Casado could opt to instead pursue a move to Saudi Arabia. His agent, Jorge Mendes, knows the Pro League market well, having recently engineered Joao Cancelo's return to Barcelona from Al-Hilal.
For Casado, a move to the Middle East would not be a permanent commitment. It would merely represent a brief but lucrative sojourn, akin to the ones of compatriots Gabri Veiga (Al-Ahli, now at Porto) and Aymeric Laporte (Al-Nassr, now at Athletic Club).
Saudi sides have the financial muscle to pay a sizeable fee for the 22-year-old - which will be attractive to Barcelona - and they are trying to shift their transfer policy away from ageing stars and towards promising youngsters.
The report claims that the door is open to a move to Saudi Arabia. However, no final decision on a summer transfer has been made. Ideally, of course, Casado would like to stay and establish himself at Barcelona.
Interestingly, data from analytics firm SciSports shows that a move to the Middle East would not necessarily be a bad thing for the midfielder. SciSports' Career Advice tool takes several factors, like playing time and development opportunities, into account to calculate a Club Fit for players.
For Casado, a move to Man Utd could be just as beneficial as one to Riyadh giants Al-Hilal. Both sides have a good Club Fit score of 75 out of 100. His perfect move, though, would be to Juventus, who boast a whopping Club Fit rating of 87.
Newcastle, who will likely be in the market for a midfielder due to the uncertainty surrounding Sandro Tonali, and Atletico Madrid, who are long-standing admirers of Casado, also rank well with a score of 84.
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