The midfield pivot position was one of the main areas of weakness in this FC Barcelona squad at the start of the season. The only experienced and natural midfield pivot in last season’s squad, Oriol Romeu, left the club in the summer, and despite being linked with players like Amadou Onana and Mikel Merino, there was no new addition for this position in the Blaugrana squad.
However, La Masia once again came to the rescue as two of its graduates were able to provide a solution to Hansi Flick for this problem. First, it was Marc Bernal whom the German tactician fielded as his starting pivot at the start of the season.
However, an unfortunate injury ruled him out for the rest of the season, and another La Masia graduate, Marc Casado, has made this position how own in the last few months. Casado has established himself as a key player in the Blaugrana squad, having played more than 1100 minutes in his 15 appearances this season.
He has also provided 5 assists in these 15 games, showcasing his offensive abilities playing from the base of the midfield. Owing to his amazing performances, there have been rumors linking him with other big European clubs.
However, Fichajes reports that Barcelona have made it clear that they have no intentions of parting ways with such an important and promising player. The Blaugranes are planning to have him as a pillar of the team going forward, and thus will not consider any loan or permanent move for him.
Thus, while retaining their trust in him to keep on being a key part of the team’s midfield, Barcelona will also take the necessary steps to ensure his development in the best way possible. Hopefully, he will continue to remain one of the team’s references in midfield for years to come.