Galatasaray could edge Tottenham and West Ham in race for ‘this’ star.
Galatasaray are preparing to initiate contact for Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, according to Inside Futbol, adding another serious suitor to a growing list of clubs that includes Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Chelsea, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid.
The 22-year-old La Masia graduate has made 30 appearances for Barcelona this season, though 16 of those have come from the bench, highlighting a lack of regular game time that has fuelled speculation about his future at the Catalan club. Barcelona are understood to be seeking around €22 million to sanction a departure this summer, a figure that would represent a reasonable outlay for a technically gifted central midfielder of his age and pedigree.
Tottenham and West Ham’s interest is not new. Both clubs made enquiries for Casado last summer without advancing to formal bids, and both are understood to remain interested as the transfer window approaches. The problem for either side pursuing the deal is increasingly obvious and deeply uncomfortable.
Both clubs are currently embroiled in a relegation battle that could yet see them drop into the Championship. Tottenham sit in the bottom three with five games remaining, while West Ham are just one point above them. The prospect of offering a 22-year-old La Masia product who has played Champions League football this season the opportunity to compete in the second tier of English football is not a compelling sales pitch by any measure.
Galatasaray can offer Champions League football to Tottenham target Marc Casado
Galatasaray’s involvement adds an entirely different dimension to the race. The Turkish giants can offer Champions League football next season, having qualified for Europe’s premier competition, alongside the attraction of playing alongside Victor Osimhen, Ilkay Gundogan, and Leroy Sane in a squad assembled with genuine ambition. That is a considerably more appealing proposition than what either London club can currently guarantee.
Chelsea and Manchester United, both certain to remain in the Premier League and both with European aspirations of their own, are better placed than Spurs or West Ham to win any bidding war. Atletico Madrid similarly offer Champions League football and a highly regarded project under Diego Simeone.
For Tottenham, the Casado situation is another illustration of how profoundly relegation would damage their ability to attract the calibre of player De Zerbi needs to rebuild. Survival is not merely about avoiding embarrassment. It is about retaining the ability to compete in the transfer market on anything approaching equal terms.