Barcelona won't be joining the race for a new midfielder this summer. The coaching staff and sporting management are convinced their options in that department are already complete.
According to Spanish newspaper "Marca", coach Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco see no need to close a new midfield deal. They believe the squad has more than enough bodies to cover all three positions in that area.
That conviction has led them to tell Marc Casadó to find a new club this summer, and the signs strongly point to a departure before the new season kicks off.
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Frenkie de Jong's injury did raise a few questions about strengthening the middle of the park. Those doubts, though, live far more in the media and among fans than inside the club's sporting management.
Talk of a move into the market has grown all the same, and one name keeps surfacing: Rodri, captain of the Spanish national team, fresh off a string of impressive displays at the last World Cup.
Two things push the Catalan club away from that race. Barça are content with their midfielders, and the fee for Rodri could hit around 70 million euros. Club officials also reckon the player's most likely destination is Real Madrid.
Spending close to 70 million euros simply to cover de Jong's absence during his injury spell makes no sense to Barcelona's board. Other priorities dominate the market, chiefly a new attacker, then the defence to a lesser degree, according to "Marca".