Marc Casadó doesn't have a place: a signing worth over €80M takes his spot

One of the main new developments last season at Barça was the emergence of midfielder Marc Casadó. The Sant Pere de Vilamajor native arrived at Barça in 2016 from Damm at the age of 13, beginning his blaugrana journey in Infantil A. He climbed through the ranks until reaching Juvenil A, winning the 2021-22 league and Champions Cup alongside players like Gavi, Fermín, and Alex Valle.

In the 2022/23 season, he established himself as one of the leaders of the reserve team with Rafa Márquez as coach. In November 2022, Xavi Hernández gave him the opportunity to make his debut. Casadó debuted with the first team in a Champions match but only made a token appearance in the league. With the arrival of Hansi Flick, the youth academy graduate's situation gave a meteoric boost to his footballing career.

At the start of last season, the team's countless injuries, such as those of Gavi, De Jong, Fermín, and Marc Bernal, gave him his chance. During preseason, Flick included the two La Masia youth players, Marc Bernal and Casadó, to shape the team's midfield. Their outstanding performances and output made him an important player, especially in the first part of the championship.

Marc Casadó establishes himself under Flick's orders

In his first year at the elite level of soccer, Casadó has shown remarkable maturity and consistency, providing reliability and order in midfield. In the Champions League, he has played more than 75% of the minutes (75%), and Casadó has become the player with the most recoveries on the team. This statistic clearly explains Hansi Flick's praise for the youth academy graduate's defensive commitment.

However, Marc Casadó's consistency has been affected by Frenkie De Jong's return to the team, especially during the second half of the league. The Dutchman rejoined the group in October, after overcoming his latest injury that kept him out of competition for several months. Flick gradually gave him minutes, and from January on, his role became vital.

Frenkie De Jong casts a shadow over Marc Casadó

With Frenkie De Jong's full recovery, Hansi Flick began to rely on the Dutchman alongside Pedri. De Jong gained confidence, and as the matches went by, his level and performance increased to the point of becoming a starter. From being ruled out a few months earlier, when he was closer to leaving than staying at the club, he became a key starter.

Frenkie De Jong has silenced critics and has once again shown his best version under Flick's complete trust. De Jong arrived in 2019, and Barça made a major investment in the Dutchman, paying more than 80 million. Flick relies on his presence in midfield, and his contract renewal, once his issues with his previous agent are solved, is expected to be completed soon.

The 28-year-old player is in his prime and has always expressed his desire to continue at the blaugrana club. De Jong has often been singled out by the culé fans for his frequent injuries and on-field attitudes. It seems the past has been forgotten, and the club is once again strongly backing his continuity under Hansi Flick.