Manchester United, Everton, and Crystal Palace have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Marc Casado, as he looks set to join AS Monaco.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, AS Monaco are closing in on signing Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado. They are set to beat Manchester United, Crystal Palace, and Everton, having made the most decisive moves to date. The Spanish international will be joining the Ligue 1 giants in a deal worth in excess of £20 million.
Casado joined La Masia back in 2016 and rose through the academy ranks, earning promotion to Barcelona’s first team in the summer of 2024. He impressed immediately, making 36 appearances and accruing over 2,400 minutes in his debut campaign. The defensive midfielder also contributed towards seven goals.
However, his second season proved less productive. With Frenkie de Jong regaining full fitness and reasserting himself in the side, Casado featured in 34 matches but racked up fewer than 1,400 minutes, highlighting that he is way down their pecking order.
Barcelona deem him surplus to requirements and are moving to offload the midfielder to fund summer signings. He is expected to be one of the players who will leave this summer as Hansi Flick’s team looks to make room for potential new signings.
Premier League clubs to miss out on Casado
A host of top clubs from the Premier League have been linked with Marc Casado. Manchester United are looking at him as an ideal long-term replacement for Casemiro. While they are closing in on Ederson’s signature, they are also interested in Casado, as Manuel Ugarte is also likely to leave the club.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are looking at him as someone who could help them cope with the potential departure of Adam Wharton. As far as Everton are concerned, Idrissa Gueye could end up leaving them this summer, while James Garner has also been linked with a move away from the Hill Dickinson Stadium. As a result, investing in Casado would address critical midfield depth.
While all three clubs enquired about him, none of them advanced to making a formal offer, as per the report. AS Monaco are on the verge of securing his services as they have shown him a clear pathway to first-team football and guaranteed him regular minutes.
With Lamine Camara’s future reportedly uncertain amid his links with Newcastle United, the Ligue 1 giants are looking at Casado as someone who can support and compete with Denis Zakaria for a place in the starting XI.
The Spaniard’s defensive discipline and ball-playing acumen make him a natural partner for Zakaria; his arrival plugs the midfield depth gap left by Camara’s uncertain future. The 22-year-old is set to compete with Zakaria for the midfield anchor role this season, adding depth to AS Monaco’s engine room.
