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| Nott’m Forest leading race for Barcelona |
Marc Casado has emerged as a target for a number of Premier League clubs as Barcelona prepare to allow the highly-rated midfielder to leave, with Nottingham Forest leading the race to sign him.
The 22-year-old Spanish international has slipped down the pecking order under Hansi Flick and, despite still being highly regarded by the Barcelona hierarchy, the club have made it clear he can explore a move.
Casado started only 10 games last season and we understand the midfielder now believes a change of club is the best option for his development.
His lack of a future at Barcelona has also been underlined by the fact that his No.17 squad number has now been handed to new signing Anthony Gordon.
His situation has already attracted significant interest in England.
Manchester City’s City Football Group and Chelsea’s BlueCo ownership both explored signing Casado earlier this summer, with the idea being to land the player before potentially moving him elsewhere within their respective networks.
However, TEAMtalk understands Casado rejected that route because he felt it would be too similar to the situation he is trying to escape from at Barcelona.
He wants a move where he can establish himself and compete regularly for first-team football.
That has opened the door to a growing Premier League race, with Forest emerging as serious contenders in the race to sign Casado.
Nott’m Forest hold serious interest in Barca star Casado
TEAMtalk understands Forest are showing strong interest in Casado, while contact has also been made with Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Brighton and Sunderland about his availability.
Manchester United also held discussions with the midfielder earlier in the summer, but TEAMtalk understands their agreement to sign Carlos Baleba means they are no longer in the race.
There is also interest from Portugal, with Marco Silva’s Benfica monitoring the situation, while clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia have also explored the possibility of a deal.
A move to the Middle East, however, is not understood to appeal to Casado at this stage.
The midfielder’s preference is to find a club where he can play regular first-team football and continue his development at the highest level.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are prepared to listen to offers and recognise that Casado’s departure could now be the best solution for both parties.
