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Arsenal eye move to sign Barcelona’s Marc Casado
Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, as per Caught Offside.
The Gunners decided to reinforce the squad by spending around £270m this summer, with the intention of finally winning the Premier League title. Following an inconsistent start, they have managed to place themselves at the top of the table, capitalising on Liverpool’s back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
Mikel Arteta’s side decided to revamp the engine room by purchasing Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard after letting Thomas Partey and Jorginho leave for free.
The Spaniard has been starting regularly in the defensive midfield position, but Norgaard hasn’t been able to get consistent playing time thus far. The Dane has already entered his 30s and has signed a two-year contract.
So, Caught Offside claim that Arsenal have already started looking at options as a potential long-term replacement for Norgaard and have identified Casado as a serious target.
The 22-year-old has found it difficult to play regularly under Hansi Flick this season, so Barcelona would be open to cashing-in on him to balance the books amid their financial difficulties. Casado has a contract until 2028 with the Catalan giants, and they are ready to accept an offer of around £30m.
Casado to Arsenal
Financially, securing this deal shouldn’t be an issue for Arsenal, but purchasing the midfielder won’t be straightforward, as Chelsea are also keen on him.
The Blues already have Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo, who are two of the most expensive players in Premier League history. Moreover, Andrey Santos and Romeo Lavia are also options for Enzo Maresca to deploy in the engine room.
Therefore, it would be difficult for Casado to get regular game time should he move to Stamford Bridge. Therefore, Arsenal would be a better destination for him.
He is a product of La Masia academy and is technically sound, comfortable playing against high-pressing teams, and is also efficient in threading passes between the lines. Furthermore, the youngster is potent in defensive contributions.
It is going to be interesting to see whether the Emirates club eventually manage to secure his service in January or next summer by defeating Chelsea in this race.