Atletico Madrid eye move for homegrown Barcelona talent – report

According to a report from Fichajes, Atletico Madrid are showing serious interest in signing Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado. 

The 21-year-old La Masia graduate, once tipped as one of the club’s most promising talents, now finds himself at a crossroads due to limited playing time and heavy competition in the Blaugrana midfield.

Casado started the 2024/25 season on a high, emerging as a surprise performer with maturity and tactical awareness beyond his years. 

However, as the season progressed, he saw his role diminish significantly. The return of Frenkie de Jong and Gavi from injury, along with the rise of Fermin Lopez, has made it increasingly difficult for Casado to secure regular minutes.

Not in the first-team plans

Under Hansi Flick, Casado is still considered a rotation piece, but nothing more than that at this stage.

The German coach values players like Pedri and De Jong for their leadership and presence on the pitch, which has further pushed Casado down the pecking order. 

Atletico Madrid are interested in Marc Casado. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

With Barcelona’s midfield packed with talent and depth, his future at the club remains uncertain.

The Barcelona board is reportedly open to listening to offers if the terms are favourable. While Flick has not completely ruled out keeping Casado, the club would consider parting ways if the proposal makes financial and sporting sense.

Atletico see opportunity

For Atletico Madrid, they are looking to bolster their midfield and they want to capitalise on a situation where Barcelona may be forced to offload talent. 

As such, Diego Simeone is keen to inject youth and energy into his squad and views Casado as a player with strong potential and LaLiga experience.

The La Liga club has already been active in the transfer market, but they remain interested in strengthening further, especially in midfield. 

Casado ticks several boxes for Simeone as he is versatile, defensively reliable, and still developing. 

A formal approach could happen soon, with negotiations likely to hinge on the player’s valuation and potential inclusion of performance-based clauses.