Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado during this summer's transfer window.
The 21-year-old has made the breakthrough into the Barcelona first team this season, making 30 appearances in all competitions, providing six assists in the process, and he has proven to be a vital player for head coach Hansi Flick.
Casado signed a new contract last summer, extending his stay at the club until June 2028, but there is thought to be serious Premier League interest in the Spain international, with a number of English teams said to be interested.
According to Cadena SER, Chelsea were in contact with Casado's camp last summer to register their interest and have again been in touch in recent weeks to discuss his situation.
The report claims that Casado 'remains convinced' that he will continue to 'fulfil his dream' at Barcelona, but he could potentially be offered the chance to make a lucrative move to the Premier League.
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Chelsea 'interested in Barcelona midfielder Casado'
Casado has been with Barcelona since 2016, progressing through the youth system at the club before turning out for Barcelona B between 2022 and 2024, making 67 appearances.
The midfielder featured once for the first team during the 2022-23 campaign before making another four appearances last term, but his real breakthrough has come this season, with Flick trusting him as a key player.
Casado has been in the starting lineup in La Liga on 17 occasions, while he has also featured from the first whistle in seven Champions League matches this season, demonstrating his importance.
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Do Chelsea have a realistic chance of signing Casado?
The midfielder's release clause has been set at €100m (£83m), and it is likely that Barcelona would point to that figure if Chelsea were to officially approach them this summer to discuss a move.
Barcelona will need to sell some first-team players this summer in order to boost their squad, but it is incredibly difficult to imagine them letting Casado leave considering how impressive he has been this season.
"This summer my contract was up and when I spoke to the club about the renewal, they told me that Flick was counting on me, that they wanted me in the first team at Barca," Casado told Cadena SER earlier this season.
"At first he wanted to see me in person in the pre-season, but that he liked what he had seen of me and that he trusted me. And from there, that was it. That was my idea to stay at the club and show him that I could be a valid player for the first team."
Chelsea's best chance of signing Casado has seemingly been and gone, and it does appear that he will feature in the middle of the Barcelona midfield in the years to come.
Matt Law
