West Ham ready Marc Casado transfer as Barcelona bid not ruled out
West Ham are considering a move for Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado in the final weeks of the transfer window.
West Ham were smashed 3-0 by Sunderland in their Premier League opener on Saturday, with the midfield an easily identifiable area of weakness.
Graham Potter is already under pressure, with decision-makers at The London Stadium keen to avoid a repeat of last season, which saw them finish 14th.
The final weeks of the window will give the former Chelsea boss the chance to strengthen further, though, with Facundo Buonanotte among those under consideration by West Ham.
West Ham weigh up £26million move for Marc Casado
West Ham have been linked to moves for several midfielders this summer, including Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes.
The Hammers were keen to sign the 21-year-old and sent an initial proposal reportedly worth around £30m, but were swiftly told to look elsewhere.
Douglas Luiz was another midfielder that West Ham were reportedly looking at, but the Brazilian now looks set for a move to Nottingham Forest.
| Graham Potter’s options in central midfield |
| Edson Alvarez |
| Tomas Soueck |
| Guido Rodriguez |
| Freddie Potts |
| James Ward-Prowse |
| Andy Irving |
That has left Potter assessing alternative options, and Casado appears to have now emerged among them.
Marca reported on 19 August that West Ham, along with Wolves, are closely monitoring the 21-year-old’s situation at Barcelona, and a £26m bid is not ruled out before the window shuts.
Casado is very attached to Barcelona and is currently prioritising a future with the Spanish giants, but his desires may well change should a move to the Premier League be on the cards.
West Ham have shown previous interest in Marc Casado
Casado is among the string of talents to emerge from the illustrious La Masia academy.
Making his Champions League debut for Barcelona in the 2022/23 season, the midfielder has since gone on to make 41 appearances for Blaugrana, including 36 last season.
- Marc Casado completed 68.11 passes per 90 minutes in La Liga, according to FBref.
- The midfielder also completed 7.23 passes into the final third and boasted a 90% pass completion rate.
The 21-year-old was Hansi Flick’s first choice at the base of the midfield for much of the season and assisted against Real Madrid in the Supercopa final, before a ligament injury in March ruled him out for the remainder.
West Ham had attempted to sign Casado in 2022, when the midfielder was just breaking through.
The Spain international rejected the chance to move to The London Stadium then, but Potter will hope that he will not a second time.
Sign up for the West Ham Zone WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking West Ham United news sent straight to your phone.