La Masia has time and time again proven to be the savior for Barcelona when the going gets tough. Last season, when Ousmane Dembele left, the academy gave the world a gifted 16-year-old – Lamine Yamal who has since gone on to do incredible things.
Similarly, since Sergio Busquets left the club last summer for Inter Miami, the club has struggled to find a player for his position. Last season, they signed Oriol Romeu but the player struggled to adapt to life at the Spanish club.
One season on, the situation remains the same but can Barcelona look within La Masia to find a solution and could that solution be Marc Casado? As per SPORT, the ex-Barca Athletic captain is tipped to have Fermin Lopez-esque breakout in the pre-season US tour.
Not many Blaugrana fans had even heard of Fermin before last season’s pre-season tour. However, the Spanish international announced himself to the footballing world with an incredible long-range hit against Real Madrid.
Since then, he went on to establish himself as a key figure in Xavi Hernandez’s team last season, playing many minutes throughout the season and chipping in with important goals. Such performances also earned him a call-up to the Spain Euros team.
Casado is tipped to have a similar fortune under Hansi Flick this time around. The German coach likes what he sees from the 20-year-old who recently extended his contract until 2028. He could get a chance to impress the boss in pre-season.
The La Masia graduate is similar to Sergi Roberto in the sense that he can play both in midfield and at right-back. The out-of-contract Barcelona captain is expected to leave the club this summer amidst Premier League interest.
Hansi Flick likes playing with a double pivot and this might help Casado thrive and mask a few of his weaknesses while playing as a single pivot. The Spanish youngster could play the role Joshua Kimmich played in the German’s team at Bayern Munich.
Every season, La Masia gives us one or two players to be excited about and get behind. Casado has waited for his chance and this might be his turn to gain prominence. Let’s hope he gets a chance to showcase his abilities on the US tour.
