Casado Brushes Off Atletico Madrid Links as Barcelona Dream Remains Unshaken
25 January 2026
Casado on Atletico Madrid interest
Marc Casado, Barcelona's midfielder, has addressed rumors linking him with a move to Atletico Madrid in the current winter window.
He started and played the full 90 minutes as Barcelona defeated Real Oviedo 3-0 at Camp Nou in La Liga's 21st round, contributing to the win.
Earlier reports had suggested Atletico Madrid's interest in signing him, amid coach Hansi Flick's decision to shift his plans.
However, following Pedri's injury in the recent Champions League match against Sparta Prague, Flick started to lean more on Casado.
In quotes cited by Mundo Deportivo, the 22-year-old said: "Playing for Barcelona has been a childhood dream, and I hope it remains so for many years."
Asked about limited minutes this season, he added: "I will make the most of every minute I play."
Regarding the match, Casado noted the intense pressing of Oviedo, praised his team's brave approach, and admitted they lacked the final decisive pass. He added that in the second half Barca scored two goals after strong ball recoveries.
He also praised the 43 days since returning to the Camp Nou in front of the supporters: "We are stronger here, but that is the schedule. We delivered a good performance on our return to the fans."
On the title race, Casado said: "Winning trophies requires us to focus on our performance. The team is highly motivated."
With 21 league games complete, Barcelona sit top on 52 points, one point ahead of Real Madrid in second place.
Punchline 1: If rumors were goals, Atletico would already be celebrating a hat-trick by now.
Punchline 2: Casado’s dream comes with a built-in alarm clock—wake up, we’re still top of the league and still keeping the dream alive at Camp Nou.
