Midfielder casts doubt on Barcelona summer exit – “I’m excited to stay here for many years”

How should Barcelona approach Casado case?

It’s clear that Barcelona need to raise funds this summer in order to be able to guarantee that signing the likes of Alessandro Bastoni and Julian Alvarez is possible. A return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule, which the club expects to happen before the transfer window opens in July, would not be enough in itself, which is why the likes of Casado and Roony Bardghji have emerged as exit options.

Given his squad status, it makes a lot of sense for Barcelona to prioritise selling Casado, who had a lot of suitors last summer when an exit was also considered. The likelihood is that clubs will come calling for him again, although one of them will not be Atletico Madrid, who recently ended their interest in the 22-year-old pivot.

It remains to be seen how the situation with Casado plays out, but at this stage, it does fell inevitable that he will leave – despite his desire to stay.