Casadó Was Already for Sale. De Jong’S Knee Changed the Plan

Marc Casadó was recently among the players Barcelona were prepared to sacrifice to raise funds. Then Frenkie de Jong damaged the medial collateral ligament in his knee at the World Cup, and the player marked for sale suddenly became a possible solution. At Barcelona, sometimes one medical scan is enough to turn the entire squad plan upside down.

According to “Mundo Deportivo”, Flick has started 32 of his 117 matches without De Jong. Barça won 25 of them, drew one and lost six. Pedri featured most often in those midfield combinations with 22 appearances, followed by Casadó on 16. The Pedri–Casadó partnership started eight of those games.

No final decision has been made, but the academy graduate’s departure no longer looks quite so certain. Barcelona have not necessarily changed their opinion of Casadó. Circumstances have simply forced them to remember that the player they wanted to sell can also be useful on the pitch.