Barcelona exile Casado emerges as option for United despite midfield spending spree

Manchester United have been handed a renewed opportunity to sign Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado after the Spanish club excluded him from pre-season matches and placed him on the transfer list, according to reports in Spain.

Casado, 22, started and played 62 minutes in Barcelona’s 2-2 draw at Birmingham City in July but has not featured since, missing subsequent pre-season fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Udinese and Basel. Manager Hansi Flick informed him he would no longer play in pre-season games, with Casado instead training alongside players deemed surplus to requirements — a move that has left the midfielder frustrated.

United were linked with Casado in June as incoming head coach Michael Carrick looked to reinforce his midfield, but the club ultimately moved in other directions. They signed Andrey Santos from Chelsea in a £48 million deal and brought in Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35 million, leaving a third midfield addition as a lower priority for the remainder of the summer window.

Barcelona’s sporting management are pushing to offload players surplus to requirements in order to generate salary space for new arrivals. Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli have registered interest in Casado, but the player is reluctant to move to the Middle East and would prefer to remain in Europe competing at the highest level. His agent, Jorge Mendes, has been working to secure a suitable destination.

AC Milan, now managed by former United head coach Ruben Amorim, have also been linked with a move, though Barcelona’s asking price of a minimum £25.6 million could deter potential suitors.

Despite the renewed availability, United have distanced themselves from a move for Casado and he is not currently a target. The club’s primary focus in the transfer market is understood to be a new left-back, with Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall identified as their first-choice option. Hall is said to be keen on a move to Manchester, but Newcastle are determined to retain him after already losing Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali this summer. The arrival of new head coach Matthias Jaissle, who replaced the departed Eddie Howe, has not altered Hall’s desire to leave St James’ Park.