Mundo Deportivo: Casado joined Deportivo after Barcelona's recommendation, but the club could not afford a purchase option

According to Mundo Deportivo, Marc Casado went through several hours of intense negotiations on the final day of the summer transfer window before eventually joining Deportivo La Coruna on loan. After the Bayer Leverkusen option collapsed and alternatives such as Real Betis and Elche were ruled out one after another, Barcelona proactively recommended Casado to Deportivo and completed the deal in the final moments.

Casado realized early on that he needed to leave Barcelona because Flick did not include him in his plans. The 22-year-old, who will turn 23 on September 14, wanted to get playing time and continue enjoying football, making a departure his main choice. However, the deal was delayed until the final stage of the transfer window. If Casado had prioritized financial factors, he could have accepted offers from clubs in Saudi Arabia or Turkey weeks earlier. Such offers were also attractive to Barcelona, as the club hoped to generate significant transfer income through player sales.

In reality, both Barcelona and the player initially considered a permanent transfer the preferred solution, but the final outcome did not develop as either side had originally expected. Casado's move to Bayer Leverkusen was once one of the most likely options to be completed. In the final days of the transfer window, the possibility emerged with the help of Carles Martinez, who had previously worked with Casado at La Masia. The coach and player began pushing the move first, followed by negotiations between the two clubs.

Barcelona initially demanded 40 million euros for Casado, but Bayer Leverkusen were unwilling to accept that price, causing the deal to quickly become difficult. As negotiations progressed, Barcelona gradually lowered their demands and were willing to accept an offer of 20 million euros. For a youth product who was no longer part of Flick's plans, this would still have represented important transfer income. The two sides were once very close to reaching an agreement, but the deal also depended on whether Robert Andrich could leave. In the end, Andrich did not transfer, completely ending the possibility of Casado moving to the Bundesliga.

While the Bayer Leverkusen option was being pursued, several La Liga clubs also expressed interest. Real Betis were among them, and because they could not afford a permanent transfer, they were very interested in a loan move for Casado. Elche also took action. Head coach Martin Anselmi personally called Casado to explain his ideas and express his desire to sign him.

By the afternoon, as all transfer routes had stalled and the German transfer window was set to close at 20:00 local time, the Bayer Leverkusen option had been completely ruled out. At that point, Barcelona's sporting management began searching for a solution that could satisfy all parties.

Barcelona then proposed the possibility of Marc Casado joining Deportivo La Coruna. The deal moved forward quickly because Casado had fit Deportivo head coach Antonio Hidalgo's tactical plans from the beginning. Coincidentally, both Hidalgo and Casado come from the Vallès Oriental area, with Hidalgo from Canovelles and Casado from Sant Pere de Vilamajor.

Hidalgo then personally called Casado. If the player had previously had some doubts about joining Deportivo, those concerns were largely removed after the conversation. Hidalgo explained his football philosophy to Casado, and the defensive midfield position is very important in his tactical system. After that, all parties raced to finalize the remaining details, hoping to complete the deal before the transfer window closed.

From the beginning, both sides had agreed on a loan deal because Deportivo could not afford the cost required for a permanent transfer. As negotiations continued, all parties focused their efforts on the Deportivo option, while the possibilities of Bayer Leverkusen, Real Betis and Elche were eliminated one after another. The options from Saudi Arabia and Turkey would only have been reconsidered if the loan move to Deportivo had failed.

All parties ultimately made efforts to complete the transfer, although tense moments also occurred during negotiations. Deco wanted to include a mandatory purchase clause worth 30 million euros, but Deportivo representative Fernando Soriano firmly rejected it because the club could not commit to paying such a large amount in the future. On this issue, Barcelona eventually had to lower its demands. To complete the loan successfully, they had to accept Deportivo's actual situation. In the end, the purchase clause changed from mandatory to non-mandatory, although the amount also indirectly showed interested clubs Barcelona's valuation expectations for Casado.

Finally, as Mundo Deportivo had previously reported, all relevant documents were completed and submitted before the deadline, allowing the loan deal to be completed at the last minute, with Casado officially joining Deportivo La Coruna. It is understood that Casado is very satisfied with accepting this challenge at Deportivo. Besides gaining the coach's trust, he also has several familiar faces in the dressing room.

Casado was not teammates with Aubameyang during his time with Barcelona's first team, but he had different levels of experience working alongside Luismi and Comas at Barca Atletic. He also knows Adrian Altimira. The Riazor Stadium is not unfamiliar territory for Casado either. During his time with Barca Atletic, he witnessed Deportivo's promotion to the Segunda Division there. In front of more than 30,000 fans, Deportivo defeated Barcelona's reserve team 1-0 and secured promotion.

Many Deportivo fans still remember Casado's outstanding performance at Riazor at that time. Now, he will wear the Deportivo shirt for at least one season and represent the club in La Liga.