Arsenal had Chelsea’s number once again in the Premier League as they earned a 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium, courtesy of Mikel Merino’s goal. The Gunners and the Blues might have faced off for the last time in the ongoing campaign on the pitch but a battle is set to ensue between them in the transfer market during the upcoming summer’s window.
Caught Offside has reported that Arsenal are keen on signing Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, who has recently been linked with a transfer to Chelsea as well.
The Spanish international has been a revelation under Hansi Flick this season, thereby being linked with a move to England, where both London rivals are looking to rebuild their midfields.
Marc Casado is naturally a deep-lying midfielder and excels at distributing the ball across the pitch, while his dribbling is also commendable and allows teams to bypass the pressure in midfield to move into the final third while in possession.
He is one of La Liga’s most exciting young talents and it is no surprise to see two of the Premier League’s powerhouses show an interest in him. Casado is valued at £25m by Transfermarkt but it remains to be seen how much Barca would want to cash-in.
Casado not planning on leaving Barcelona
Besides having a superb campaign at Barcelona in his first full year in the first team, Marc Casado also made his debut for Spain at the backend of 2024.
In saying that, he recently pledged his happiness at being in Catalonia and in spite of being at a very early stage in his career, he revealed that he wants to stay with his boyhood club until he retires.
While that may be seen as a very long-sighted view from the player, it is fair to assume that his desire to stay at Barcelona eliminates the possibility of a move to Arsenal or Chelsea this year. And though the Gunners have been linked with Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Zubimendi as well, it remains to be seen who Chelsea shortlist as Casado’s alternative.
