- Newcastle United dealt blow in race for Marc Casado
- Barcelona midfielder prefers move to Monaco
- Other clubs also want to sign Spanish midfielder
It looks like another transfer blow is on the cards for Newcastle United after they missed out on Zadok Yohanna to Brighton yesterday.
Reports from England claim Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado prefers a move elsewhere despite interest from the Magpies, Manchester United and other Premier League clubs.
Eddie Howe needs to get his transfers bang on the money this summer as Newcastle United aim to improve on their 12th-place finish from the 2025-26 campaign.
However, if they want midfield reinforcements, they will have to look elsewhere as Casado seems to be headed to Monaco.
Newcastle United will not sign Marc Casado
Casado enjoyed a breakthrough campaign under Hansi Flick as Barcelona won the La Liga title. He made 30 appearances in the competition but most of those were as a substitute.
At the age of 22, regular game time is worth its weight in gold for Casado, due to which a transfer could be on the cards.
And TEAMtalk report that Monaco are leading the race to secure his signature, with the player also intrigued by the prospect of moving to the Principality outfit.
The Ligue 1 side have mapped out a clear first-team pathway for Casado, while he is also relishing the prospect of moving to Monaco.
Newcastle United, Manchester United and other Premier League clubs have been credited with an interest, but Casado will not be moving to England this summer.
According to a report from Barca Buzz, he is valued at around €25m, with teamTALK also corroborating that Monaco will likely get a deal done for around £20m.
Not the end of the world for the Magpies
Casado is a talented player and has made massive strides over the past 12 months.
However, if Newcastle United retain Sandro Tonali and keep Bruno Guimaraes fit and firing, the need for another defensive-minded midfielder decreases.
Additionally, Casado is only 1.71 meters tall, so he could well struggle to get to grips with the physicality of the Premier League.
After losing Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, the Magpies could have well asked for Casado as a sweetener in the deal. However, they refrained from doing so and need to prioritise signing attackers, as Gordon was their most productive forward last season.
Missing out on a talented player like Casado is obviously not good news, but it’s nothing the Newcastle United hierarchy will lose sleep over as they have other priorities in the transfer market.
