Besiktas make formal approach for Barcelona outcast but only want a loan deal | OneFootball

According to a report from SPORT, Besiktas have now formally asked Barcelona about taking Marc Casado on loan, joining Benfica in the race for a player who has fallen outside Hansi Flick’s plans this season. 

With the transfer window closing this Tuesday at midnight, a deal now looks likely to come together in the closing hours, if Casado’s camp finds terms they consider worth accepting.

Details of Besiktas’ request

As per the outlet, Benfica’s interest centres on a loan with an option to buy, giving Casado a route back to regular football while leaving the door open for a permanent move later. 

Besiktas, by contrast, are working on a straightforward loan and have been exploring alternatives too. Even so, Casado remains their priority target to strengthen the midfield before the deadline.

As far as Barcelona are concerned, it is known that they want to cash in on the 22-year-old rather than simply loan him out, and the structure being discussed echoes the Hector Fort model.

Besiktas want to sign Casado on loan. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

This means selling 50 or 60 per cent of his registration rights while Barcelona retain some future control over the player. 

Unlike Fort, though, Casado’s profile commands a higher valuation than Fort’s, whose move to Real Sociedad was completed for €8.5 million.

He is under contract until 2028, and despite training away from the first-team group for most of the summer, Casado has been in no rush to force a move through. 

Barcelona want €40 million for Casado

Interestingly, if money were Casado’s priority, this situation would already be resolved, as Saudi clubs offered as much as €40 million for him, offers he turned down. 

At the same time, Turkish football has not tempted him either, largely because it does not carry the sporting profile he is looking for at this stage of his career.

Casado is certain to leave Barcelona. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

That leaves Barcelona in a difficult state. They know no other suitor will match the numbers Saudi clubs were offering, and they will likely have to accept a smaller fee than they might have hoped for elsewhere. 

However, Casado’s insistence on staying in a competitive European league, with interest from the Premier League as well, works in Barcelona’s favour if they are serious about the Fort-style structure. 

It keeps the player, and the value tied to his future, within reach.

But with Besiktas also keen, it remains to be seen what Barcelona ultimately decide.