According to Sport, Marc Casado spent several hours in intense negotiations on transfer deadline day before ultimately joining Deportivo La Coruña on loan. After the Bayer Leverkusen option fell through and alternatives like Real Betis and Elche were ruled out, FC Barcelona proactively recommended Casado to Deportivo La Coruña, and the deal was completed at the last minute.

Casado had recognized early that he needed to leave FC Barcelona, as Flick did not include him in his plans. Now 22, Casado will turn 23 on September 14. He wanted playing time and to continue enjoying football, making a departure his primary objective. However, the deal dragged on until the final stages of the transfer window. Had Casado prioritized financial factors, he could have accepted offers from Saudi Arabian or Turkish clubs weeks earlier. Such offers were also attractive to FC Barcelona, as the club hoped to generate substantial transfer revenue from player sales.

Initially, a permanent transfer was the preferred option for both FC Barcelona and the player, but ultimately things did not develop as originally envisioned by all parties. Among the options, Casado's move to Bayer Leverkusen was at one point one of the most promising. This opportunity emerged in the final days of the transfer window, driven by Carles Martínez, who had previously worked with Casado at La Masia. The coach and player initially pushed for the deal, and the two clubs then entered negotiations.

FC Barcelona initially demanded €40 million for Casado, but Bayer Leverkusen was unwilling to meet this price, and the deal quickly ran into difficulties. As negotiations progressed, Barcelona gradually lowered their demands and became willing to accept an offer of €20 million. For an academy player no longer in Flick's plans, this still represented significant transfer revenue. The two sides came close to an agreement, but the deal also depended on Robert Andrich's potential departure. Ultimately, Andrich did not move, completely ending Casado's chances of playing in the Bundesliga.

While pursuing the Bayer Leverkusen option, several La Liga clubs also expressed interest. Real Betis was among them; unable to afford a permanent transfer fee, they were very keen on loaning Casado. Elche was also active. Head coach Martín Anselmi personally called Casado to explain his thoughts and express his desire to sign the player.

By afternoon, with all transfer paths blocked and the German transfer window closing at 8 p.m. local time, the Bayer Leverkusen option was completely ruled out. At this point, Barcelona's sporting leadership began searching for a solution that would satisfy all parties.

Barcelona then presented Deportivo La Coruña with the opportunity to sign Marc Casado. The deal quickly gained momentum, as Casado fit perfectly into Deportivo La Coruña coach Antonio Hidalgo's tactical plans from the start. Coincidentally, both Hidalgo and Casado hail from the Vallès Oriental region; Hidalgo is from Canovelles and Casado from Sant Pere de Vilamajor.

Hidalgo then called Casado personally. If the player had any previous doubts about joining Deportivo La Coruña, this conversation largely dispelled them. Hidalgo explained his playing philosophy to Casado, and in his tactical system the defensive midfielder is a crucial position. After that, all parties raced against time to finalize the remaining details, hoping to complete the deal before the transfer window closed.

From the outset, the agreed solution was a loan, as Deportivo La Coruña could not afford the fees required for a permanent transfer. As negotiations continued, all parties focused entirely on the Deportivo La Coruña option, and the possibilities of Bayer Leverkusen, Real Betis, and Elche were ruled out one by one. As for the offers from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, these would only be reconsidered if the Deportivo La Coruña loan fell through.

All parties ultimately worked to make the deal happen, despite tense moments during negotiations. Deco had wanted to include a mandatory purchase option of €30 million, but Fernando Soriano of Deportivo La Coruña firmly rejected this, as the club could not commit to paying such a high amount in the future. On this issue, Barcelona ultimately had to lower their demands. If they wanted the loan to go through smoothly, they had to accept Deportivo La Coruña's practical situation. In the end, the purchase option changed from mandatory to optional, though this amount indirectly indicated Barcelona's valuation of the player for clubs that might be interested in signing Casado in the future.

Ultimately, as Sport previously reported, all relevant documents were completed and submitted in time before the deadline, and the loan deal was finalized at the last minute, with Casado officially joining Deportivo La Coruña. It is believed that Casado is very satisfied about taking on the challenge at Deportivo La Coruña. Beyond the coach's confidence, there are also many familiar faces in the team's dressing room.

Casado did not play alongside Aubameyang in Barcelona's first team, but had different experiences working with Luismi and Comas at Barcelona Atlètic. He and Adrià Altimira also know each other. The Riazor Stadium is also not unfamiliar to Casado. When he played for Barcelona Atlètic, he personally witnessed Deportivo La Coruña's promotion to the Segunda División there. At that time, Deportivo defeated Barcelona's reserve team 1–0 in front of over 30,000 fans and secured promotion.

Many Deportivo La Coruña fans still remember Casado's outstanding performance at the Riazor back then. Now he will wear the Deportivo La Coruña shirt for at least one season and represent the team in La Liga.

Übersetzt von KI.

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