€45m Barcelona midfielder might be closing in on Marc Casadó’s place in the starting eleven | OneFootball

The new year has been good for Barcelona so far, and they have done well to remain alive in each competition. While their La Liga form could be much better than it currently is, all hope is not lost on that front as well. As for the other competitions, Barcelona is managing to soar through so far.

In the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, Barcelona are eagerly awaiting their next games and are looking to be one of the strongest competitors. As for the Spanish Super Cup, that has already been secured by the Catalan giants after defeating Real Madrid in the final.

This run of good form has also coincided with the improvement of a certain Dutch midfielder who had a rather frustrating 2024 across the board. Frenkie de Jong, a 27-year-old Barcelona midfielder and one of the team’s captains, has showcased a much better version of himself since the beginning of 2025.

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Now, as highlighted by SPORT, the player might even be gunning for a place back in the starting eleven. Hansi Flick clearly seems to be invested in the player’s return to form, and it seems likely that the expense of his resurgence could be taken on by none other than Marc Casadó.

While his first half of the season was just superb, Casadó has been relatively underwhelming in the second half of the campaign so far. As such, De Jong seems to have taken full advantage of this and has been delivering great performances ever since, and his prominence within the team continues to grow.

Even in moments of desperation, it is often Casadó who Flick prefers to take off and it is De Jong who he often chooses to send on the pitch. While Pedri still remains untouchable in the starting eleven, Casadó’s position may not exactly be a guarantee anymore considering De Jong’s gradual revival.

Injuries and exit rumors hindered him previously, but it seems now that the €45 million-rated midfielder is well and truly on the right track to return to his best version. If he manages to do that, however, it could very likely be Marc Casadó who ends up having to deal with the consequences.