Tottenham Hotspur have now been linked with a Barcelona midfielder who is struggling for game time, but there is a big obstacle in the way.
Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in a dire situation in the Premier League this season as they could well lose their English top-flight status.
However, the Lilywhites are aiming not to go down without a fight, having hired former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi ahead of the Premier League run-in.
Sadly, the Italian was in for a rude awakening on his Spurs debut as his side suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sunderland, leaving Tottenham in the bottom three with six games to spare.
Tottenham linked with Marc Casado as his Barcelona future is uncertain
But De Zerbi is expected to have a big task on his hands regardless of Tottenham’s league position next season.
A rebuild is very much needed, with the new Spurs boss handed the task of keeping a few Tottenham players at the club before he then goes on to strengthen the squad.
Bringing in players with experience could bode well for Tottenham, and Tuttomercato have now linked Spurs with Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado.
The Spanish international, despite being 22, has featured 71 times already for the La Liga side, although most of his appearances came last season.
This campaign, he has struggled for game time, making just 901 minutes of appearances in the Spanish top flight as he finds it difficult to secure regular minutes. Spurs are well aware of this and are among the clubs showing interest in the midfielder.
Spurs face competition for Marc Casado as Saudi interest emerges
But Tottenham are sure to face stiff competition if they are to secure the services of Casado, who in January declared, “Barca is the club of my life.”
West Ham United are also said to be interested in landing the Barcelona midfielder this summer, while Atletico Madrid are also in the race for the 22-year-old.
However, it is explained that Saudi Arabia is the more concrete option for Casado, as the PIF fund is reportedly ready to put around €40 million (£34m) on the table. That in itself is a significant sum which could push Barcelona, struggling with financial difficulties, to consider a sale.