Barcelona’s Casado to weigh Saudi switch after slide down Flick’s pecking order

Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado is prepared to explore a summer transfer to Saudi Arabia after seeing his playing time slashed in half this season, sources have confirmed to AS.

Twelve months ago the 22-year-old was being hailed as one of La Liga’s breakout stories, racking up more than 2,000 minutes as injuries to Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Marc Bernal forced Hansi Flick to lean heavily on the former Barça Atlètic captain. Fast-forward to the current campaign and Casado has logged only 1,092 minutes, prompting the Spain international to reassess his future.

Although Flick has repeatedly told club officials he wants to retain the combative midfielder, Casado has recognised that guaranteed minutes are no longer assured. Gavi is nearing a return from injury, Bernal’s role is expanding and La Masia graduate Tommy Marques made his first-team debut at the weekend, further clouding the path to regular football.

Casado, who resisted overtures from England and Saudi Arabia last summer and again in January, has now enlisted super-agent Jorge Mendes—an influential figure in the Gulf market—to survey his options. The player is open to following the blueprint set by compatriots Aymeric Laporte and Gabri Veiga: a lucrative short-term stint in the Saudi Pro League followed by a re-entry to European football.

Such a development would suit Barcelona’s finances. The Catalans value Casado at €30 million and, after Premier League interest cooled, the Saudi circuit represents the most viable route to securing a significant fee for a squad player whose contract still runs for several seasons.

Final decisions are expected after the current campaign concludes, but the possibility of a Middle Eastern adventure is now firmly on the table for a talent eager to reignite a stalled progression.