Barcelona are very close to completing the transfer of Marc Casado to AS Monaco, in a deal considered 95% complete and which should be made official this week. According to the international press, the Monegasque club will pay around 18 million fixed euros, plus 5 million in variables linked to performance, while the Catalans are still seeking to secure a 20% clause on a future sale.
Casado's departure is part of Barça's strategy to gain financial margin and space in the squad for new arrivals in the summer, in the initial phase of Hansi Flick's project. Faced with the reduction of their role in the main team, Monaco moved quickly and the conversations evolved positively, with only final details remaining to seal the agreement.
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For the Spanish midfielder, the salary package will represent a significant jump — he is expected to earn around three times what he earned in Barcelona. The possibility of continuing to compete in European competitions also factored into the decision.
Trained at La Masia and once seen as a promise for the Blaugrana midfield, Casado found more and more obstacles to assert himself among the seniors. Competition from established names such as Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Gavi, combined with the assertion of Marc Bernal, limited his opportunities to add minutes regularly.
For Barcelona, securing up to 23 million euros for a player who does not figure as a central player for Flick represents solid business, while also signaling the end of Casado's journey at the club where he grew up.