Barcelona omission as Al-Hilal move 'nears' for Marc Casadó | OneFootball

Marc Casadó has taken a step towards the exit at Barcelona, with talks over a switch to Al-Hilal accelerating.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the 22-year-old reported to the training complex then departed without boarding the flight to Udine for friendlies against Udinese and Nottingham Forest.

Al-Hilal tabled an initial offer in July, which Barcelona rejected as it fell short of their valuation. Talks paused, but the player and the Saudi club are now making headway and the deal appears closer than before.

Barcelona are holding out for more than 30 million euros and are pushing towards the 40 million euro mark. Al-Hilal were not initially prepared to meet that level.

Casadó is well regarded, yet his prominence in Hansi Flick’s plans waned over last season. Barcelona’s aggressive push to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri underlines their drive to reshape the midfield and add depth.

Swedish winger Roony Bardghji, 20, was also left out of the Udine trip, a year after joining from Copenhagen. He is among those tipped to move on before the window closes.

Casadó’s exclusion points to negotiations entering a more serious phase, which may pave the way for an agreement in the coming days.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”