Saudi Arabia step up plans to sign €30m Barcelona star | OneFootball

Barcelona have done well to move players on this summer, but there are still unwanted players they want to leave. One of those is Marc Casado, whose future at the Spotify Camp Nou is over after being told that he does not count for Hansi Flick next season.

Casado has accepted that an exit is best for his career, and thus, he has been anticipating offers coming in. Now that the summer transfer window is open, there will be movement made, and the first significant one has come from Saudi Arabia.

As per Marca, Al Hilal have stepped up efforts to sign Casado, whom they see as an ideal signing for Simone Inzaghi’s squad. The 22-year-old had previously been mentioned as being included in a possible deal for Barcelona target Joao Cancelo, although the Saudi Pro League side’s push is unrelated to this operation.

Barcelona want to close €30m deal by next week

Barcelona had hoped to sell Casado by the 30th June as this would have allowed the money to be included in their accounts for the previous financial year, but that did not materialise. Instead, they will try to earn more money from a sale, with their asking price – which was previously €25m – now standing at €30m.

The plan within Barcelona is for Casado to be sold by the end of next week, as they want everything finalised before the first team squad returns for the start of pre-season on the 13th of July. Given this stance, Al Hilal would have a good chance of winning the race, although the report notes that the La Masia graduate has reservations about a move to Saudi Arabia.

While the financial aspect would be welcomed, Casado has doubts about whether joining Al Hilal would be best from a sporting perspective. As for Barcelona, they would prefer he went to Saudi Arabia, given they could receive a bigger fee that way.