Casadó chooses Deportivo as Barcelona accept loan with €30m purchase option

Marc Casadó has chosen Deportivo de La Coruña. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Galician club have reached a verbal agreement with Barcelona over an initial loan for the midfielder. The deal is expected to include a €30 million purchase option, although the player has not yet signed and neither club has issued an official announcement.

CASADÓ CHOOSES DEPORTIVO

Deportivo have won the race for the 22-year-old midfielder, who considered several possible destinations during the final weeks of the transfer window. Casadó has decided to remain in Spain and pursue regular playing time in LaLiga.

Minutes appear to have been the decisive factor. Competition in Barcelona’s midfield is intense, and Casadó’s position in Hansi Flick’s hierarchy offered no guarantee of consistent football. Deportivo can give the La Masia graduate a much more prominent role.

The move will not immediately end his relationship with Barcelona. Casadó is expected to spend the 2026/27 season on loan, while his contract with his parent club remains valid until 30 June 2028.

BARCELONA WANTED A SALE

Barcelona initially preferred a permanent transfer. The club wanted an immediate fee and showed little enthusiasm for a straightforward loan.

They have ultimately accepted Deportivo’s proposed formula. Casadó will leave temporarily, while the Galician side will have the opportunity to sign him permanently for €30 million.

The compromise allows Barcelona to preserve a high valuation for the midfielder. It does not, however, guarantee any income from a permanent transfer. The €30 million figure looks impressive in the description of the operation, but for now it represents only a possibility.

AN OPTION IS NOT AN OBLIGATION

The wording of the clause matters. Deportivo are expected to receive an option to buy Casadó, not an obligation to complete the transfer.

If the midfielder performs well, the newly promoted LaLiga club will be able to pay the agreed amount and keep him. If Deportivo decide against activating the clause, Casadó will return to Barcelona with only one year remaining on his contract.

Barcelona are therefore not receiving €30 million. They are receiving the possibility that Deportivo may decide to pay it next summer. That is an important distinction for a club that originally wanted an immediate sale.

Regular football could still increase Casadó’s value. Another season spent near the bottom of Barcelona’s midfield hierarchy would hardly have helped the player or the club find a buyer next year.

THE FORMALITIES REMAIN

Romano has stressed that Casadó has not yet signed the contract. The clubs have reached a verbal agreement, but the formal steps must still be completed before the operation can be considered final.

Barcelona and Deportivo have not officially announced the move. Earlier reports in Spain also differed over the precise structure of the agreement, meaning the final terms can only be confirmed once the documents have been signed.

The direction, however, has been chosen. Casadó wants Deportivo, Barcelona have accepted a loan and €30 million is the price attached to a future possibility.

It is not the price of a completed sale.