FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have met to discuss a potential first team player transfer from one La Liga giant to the other according to El Desmarque and The Touchline, which both cited anonymous sources.
The kind of business that Barca would prefer to do with the club from the capital would see the latter’s striker Julian Alvarez wind up at the Spotify Camp Nou.
As was reported this week, the Argentine is the chosen ‘9’ to succeed an aging Robert Lewandowski, who is in the last year of his contract.
With fees as high as $233 million (€200 million) quoted for the World Cup winner, however, Barca doesn’t have that kind of cash on hand and might have to look towards the summer to possibly pull off the coup.
To bring the price down, President Joan Laporta could perhaps look at offering Ferran Torres as a bargaining chip that wouldn’t leave Atleti without a striker in the aftermath of the deal.
At this current moment in time, however, Diego Simeone lacks a midfielder given Conor Gallagher’s recent departure to Tottenham Hotspur.
According to the mentioned outlets, it is this situation that has brought Atleti to the negotiation table with the Blauagrana.
Atletico Madrid wants FC Barcelona star Marc Casado
Looking to be the potential future of the FC Barcelona midfield after becoming a regular fixture there at the start of the 2024/2025 season under Hansi Flick, Casado fell down the pecking order once Frenkie de Jong returned from injury.
More recently, he started alongside Marc Bernal in a Copa del Rey last 16 win over Racing Santander but was unimpressive, and the younger of the two La Masia graduates being brought on instead at Slavia Prague on Wednesday communicated that he is falling further away from Flick’s primary plans.
Pedri’s injury could mean opportunities in the coming weeks, yet possibly moving to Atleti as part of a $35 million (€30 million) deal would change his destiny entirely.
At this moment in time, though, The Touchline says, Barca’s demand to have a percentage in a future sale is holding things up.
What could FC Barcelona do with the money from a potential Casado sale?
If Barca receives the mentioned sum from Atletico Madrid, it could pay to make Marcus Rashford’s loan move from Manchester United permanent in the summer once the temporary arrangement expires on June 30.
The money could also help towards landing Alvarez, but alternatively perhaps acquire a decent full back available at a cut rate considering Joao Cancelo is only in Catalonia on loan too.
With Casado possibly picking up minutes, FC Barcelona will return to action on Sunday against Real Oviedo at the Spotify Camp Nou.
