- Crystal Palace eyed Barcelona star Marc Casado
- Spaniard looks set for AS Monaco
- French club are leading race
Crystal Palace’s hopes of signing Barcelona star Marc Casado have taken a hit as Ligue 1 club AS Monaco have pulled into pole position. The Spaniard is on the Eagles’ radar but a move to France appears more likely.
According to TEAMtalk, Palace have held talks regarding the player’s situation and to find out his availability. The Eagles aren’t alone in eyeing the 22-year-old.
Manchester United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Nottingham Forest and Everton are also in the mix. Those clubs have too discussed the possibility of signing the Barcelona man.
Crystal Palace fall behind in Casado race
The report claims that Monaco are the only club to make a concrete move for Casado. They are working on completing a €25m (£20m) deal for the Spaniard.
Palace’s interest had been reported last week, and there were claims in Spain of a £21.5m bid from Selhurst Park. There is no indication that this was formally made, and the situation points to the player moving to Ligue 1.
Casado is an exciting defensive midfield talent who made 34 appearances across competitions for Barca this season. He isn’t quite at an elite level but he has shown huge potential during his time at Camp Nou.
The two-cap Spain international is a product of the Catalans’ La Masia academy. He’s previously been hailed by World Cup winner Sergio Busquets.
Hackney the obvious choice
Palace are likely to be in the market for a new midfielder, but if they don’t move quickly for Casado, he seems destined for Monaco. That doesn’t mean the Eagles aren’t exploring other options ahead of Daichi Kamada heading for the exit door.
One of those is Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney, who is on the South Londoners’ shortlist. Everton have had a bid for the English midfielder rejected, paving the way for Steve Parish’s transfer chiefs to swoop in.
Hackney might be a more suitable acquisition for Palace than Casado, given his experience in English football. The 23-year-old has been superb in the EFL Championship, likened to Declan Rice with dominant displays in the middle of the park.
