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With Barcelona currently facing an uphill battle to regain form, the club might also have to deal with the departure of a young midfielder in the summer. As per multiple reports, 20-year-old La Masia product Marc Casado could soon be on his way out of Camp Nou amidst uncertain game time and interest from other clubs.
Under Xavi, several gems of Barcelona's famed academy have experienced a meteoric rise to the top, with Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez serving as the best examples. 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi is the most recent La Masia star to announce himself to the world, having made an appearance in all of Barcelona's last four league games.
Nevertheless, Marc Casado, the captain of the Barca Atletic team, is having a tough time replicating the career paths of his peers. Despite having featured a whopping 34 times in the senior matchday squads, the Spanish youngster is yet to make his maiden appearance in La Liga.
Casado has only been granted a meager 22 minutes on the pitch this season, with both of his senior cameos coming in the Champions League. Following summer signing Oriol Romeu's significant dip in form, Barcelona have tried multiple variations to fill in the gaping crack in their defensive midfield position.
However, Xavi has yet to put his faith in Casado for the said role, even deploying defender Andreas Christensen in the number six position before the La Masia graduate.
Consequently, Casado's future in Barcelona is currently shrouded in uncertainty, with his current deal with his boyhood club set to expire in the coming summer. While the Blaugrana have the option to extend his deal by one year, the existence of suitors for Casado could further complicate his future with the club.
According to a report by Toni Juanmarti from SPORT, Casado's allegiance to Barcelona could be called into question in the coming days. Furthermore, interest from clubs like Granada, who, unlike Barca, can guarantee playing time for Casado, can add another twist to the tale (via Barca Universal).
Barcelona handed a boost as two first-team players return to training from injury
Despite their never-ending woes, the Blaugrana continue to persist, as shown in their 3-1 win over Alaves last week. With a draw in the Madrid derby causing both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid to drop points in the league, Spanish giants distance from the top has been reduced to eight points.
While they still have a long way to go, Xavi's men received another good piece of news in the form of the return of two first-team players from injury. In a training session after Barca's win over Alaves, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Raphinha were spotted going through drills alongside other members of the squad.
Nevertheless, whether the duo has gained matchday fitness is yet to be determined. The Blaugrana are scheduled to face Granada and Celta Vigo in the league next before traveling to Naples for the Champions League knockout fixture against Napoli.
