Chelsea END talks to sign Barcelona superstar

Cameron Smith

18 Mar 2025 15:30 CDT
3 min read

Chelsea have ended talks to sign Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, according to reports in Spain.

Casado, 21, has enjoyed a breakout campaign under Hansi Flick and he has been heavily linked with a surprise move to Stamford Bridge over the past few months.

Article continues under the video

The Blues are reportedly in the market for a new central midfielder, despite the plethora of options already owned by the club, and Casado had emerged as a key transfer target amid his impressive form at Camp Nou.

Enzo Maresca’s side were reportedly willing to submit an offer in excess of €40 million for the 21-year-old, while the Blues had even held initial talks with his representatives.

However, Chelsea have now ended talks to sign Casado after news of his injury setback, according to El Nacional.

The Spaniard has suffered a partial ligament tear in his right knee and is reportedly set to miss at least two months of action as a result. Casado was initially expected to be sidelined for a far longer period of time, but Barcelona have confirmed that he will not require surgery and the midfielder is therefore set to return to full fitness before the start of pre-season.

Despite this, Chelsea have reportedly ended negotiations to sign Casado this summer.

Chelsea’s summer transfer plan

Although Chelsea have decided against pursuing a deal for Casado, they are still expected to sign a number of reinforcements during the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Blues are set to target a new centre forward and a right-footed winger this summer, with England U21 duo Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens among their priority targets.

Chelsea have already agreed a deal to sign Sporting CP pair Dario Essugo and Geovany Quenda, while Kendry Paez, Estevao Willian and Mike Penders will all arrive at Stamford Bridge later this year.

However, Axel Disasi, Joao Felix and Ben Chilwell are among the players who are expected to be sold by the Chelsea hierarchy as Maresca looks to build a squad capable of challenging for major honours.