The future of the full-back position is once again stirring debate inside Barcelona at a crucial point in the market. The club are clear that they want to keep a player who has convinced the coaching staff. But they are equally clear that they are not willing to pay a transfer fee for him.
That is where another piece suddenly enters the picture. A squad player who was not initially at the centre of the operation could now become the key factor in unlocking everything. And his situation is already starting to attract serious attention from outside.
Al Hilal are closely monitoring that player and could step into the story with an important offer. Barça do not rule out using that interest as part of a wider operation, all with the aim of balancing the books without damaging the club’s financial position.
Casadó enters the scene and changes everything
The name linking both situations is Marc Casadó. The midfielder is attracting interest from Al Hilal, and that could end up playing a major role in the full-back’s future.
This route would allow Barça to solve the situation without paying a direct transfer fee. The Saudi club are said to value the full-back at around €15 million, taking into account his contract situation. Meanwhile, Barcelona reportedly place Casadó’s value at no less than €20 million.
That gap opens the door to possible cross-structured formulas between the two cases. Inside the club, they are not ruling out exploring that kind of scenario, especially if it also makes sense from a sporting point of view.
It would be a way to solve two situations in one negotiation, while also staying consistent with Barça’s current financial reality.
Flick wants him, but Barça will not pay
From the sporting side, the position inside the coaching staff is very clear. Hansi Flick wants to keep the full-back because of his versatility and his performances. He has shown he can be useful on both flanks and has responded well in demanding moments of the season.
But inside the offices, the red line is non-negotiable. Barça do not intend to pay a transfer fee for the player under any circumstances. That decision shapes the entire operation from the very beginning.
That is why any possible route now depends on finding creative formulas that avoid a direct payment. And that is exactly where the possible Casadó operation comes into play.
A deal shaped by one single rule
Barcelona are open to keeping the full-back if he continues performing at the current level. But always under one very clear condition that defines the entire strategy: there will be no transfer payment in any scenario.
That forces any negotiation to move through sales, swaps or indirect agreements. The sporting department are already working on those kinds of structures so they do not close any doors too early. And Al Hilal’s interest in Casadó fits perfectly into that logic.
Now everything will depend on how the contacts develop in the coming weeks. The market is starting to move, the pieces are beginning to line up, and right in the middle of everything, one name has emerged as the key to solving it all: Marc Casadó.
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