Mendes Meets Casado and Balde to Discuss Their Future at Barcelona

Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes held separate meetings with Barcelona players Marc Casado and Alejandro Balde to discuss their futures, amid differing positions for each player during the current summer transfer window.

Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reported that Mendes took advantage of his presence in Barcelona to meet with Casado and Balde, having arrived in the city to finalize Joao Cancelo's contract with the club until 2029 and to present him officially. He also met with Deco in a meeting that lasted about an hour.

Baldé's future appears uncertain following Cancelo's return, who was a key player last season and now poses a challenge for the left-back position. Although Baldé prefers to remain at Barcelona, Mendes has informed him of interest from several clubs, including Manchester United. This puts the player in a position where he must make a decision about his future, especially as he is under contract until 2028.

Casado's departure from Barcelona appears increasingly likely, as he is not part of coach Hans Flick's plans for the current season. The midfielder is under contract until 2028.

The source clarified that Casado does not wish to move to the Saudi league, despite interest from Al Hilal and Al Ahli in signing him. He prefers to continue his career in Europe, where he is attracting attention from AC Milan, Nottingham Forest, and Benfica, along with a Turkish club.

Barcelona is aiming to receive at least €30 million from the sale of Casado, who has played 75 matches for the first team and has become an international player for the Spanish national team. This comes after the sale of Tomi Marquez to Sporting Braga for a fixed fee of €11 million, plus an additional €1 million in variables. The club is aware of the difficulty in reaching the €40 million that could have been obtained from Casado's transfer to Saudi Arabia.