21-year-old Barcelona player among candidates shortlisted by Atletico Madrid to reinforce midfield – Report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona had a very successful pre-season tour to Asia, where Hansi Flick tried out different combinations. It is safe to say that the results offered a lot of promise for the future.

Flick had the opportunity to play different XIs in each half of every game. Various players caught the eye, but one player whose performance went under the radar was defensive midfielder Marc Casado.

The Spaniard, whose future at Barcelona has come into question in recent days, had a solid outing in every single game he played and showcased why the Catalan club should ideally keep hold of him.

Barcelona Midfielder Wanted by Atletico

Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images

Now, as per Fichajes, Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has requested the signing of a new midfielder as soon as possible, and the Barcelona academy graduate is one of the names on their shortlist.

Casado is listed alongside FC Porto’s Alan Varela. The report mentions that Atletico Madrid are optimistic because Barcelona are reportedly open to negotiating the sale of the 21-year-old this summer.

Pablo Barrios’ injury and Rodrigo de Paul’s departure to Inter Miami has forced Atletico to quickly look for a new midfielder. However, Barcelona should not be selling Casado, especially to their league rivals.

As he showed during pre-season, Casado has a lot of quality and is arguably the best player to break up play in midfield for Barcelona. He has also shown improvement with every passing game.

Ultimately, one doesn’t expect the ex-Barca Atletic captain to leave the club this summer. Hansi Flick seems to rate what the Spaniard brings to the table, and let’s wait and see how things play out in the coming days.