Chelsea have reportedly submitted a transfer enquiry for Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado after months of interest in the Spaniard.
Casado has been linked with a Stamford Bridge switch since his breakthrough at Barcelona last year and Chelsea have now intensified their pursuit of his signature by enquiring about his availability.
Barcelona are reluctant to offload the 21-year-old this summer, but they would reportedly entertain a sale if they receive an offer worth around €50 million, as per CaughtOffside.
Manchester United are keeping tabs on Casado’s situation at Camp Nou too, although Ruben Amorim’s side are yet to table an official approach and are believed to be a less likely destination than either Arsenal or Chelsea.
Despite this, the Red Devils reportedly view Casado as a possible replacement for Manuel Ugarte, who has failed to live up to expectations since his move from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
Chelsea pursue Marc Casado deal
Chelsea’s continued interest in Casado is a major surprise following the signing of Sporting CP star Dario Essugo and Andrey Santos’ return from a loan spell at Strasbourg.
Enzo Maresca now has eight first-team central midfielders at his disposal, including first-choice pairing Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, and Chelsea are eager to trim down their squad, rather than add additional players to their roster.
Lesley Ugochukwu and Carney Chukwuemeka are both expected to leave Stamford Bridge on a permanent deal before the start of the new campaign, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall may also depart after failing to break into Maresca’s preferred starting XI since his move from Leicester City in 2024.
As a result, Casado appears unlikely to secure a west London switch, despite the fact that Chelsea have reportedly submitted an initial enquiry.
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