Is Marc Casadó Joshua Kimmich? His Barcelona teammates think so

One of the shining stars of Barcelona’s preseason debut victory over Manchester City on Tuesday night was Marc Casadó, who started and played very well alongside fellow Barça Atlètic teammate Marc Bernal and was heavily involved in the Blaugrana’s strong performance in the first game under Hansi Flick.

Casadó earned his first call-up to the first team last season under Xavi Hernández and played sporadically throughout the campaign, but his performance on Tuesday may have earned him a regular role in the side at least to start the season while Frenkie de Jong and Gavi recover from their injuries.

Barça’s inability to sign a defensive midfielder in this transfer window may force Flick to look internally for options, and Casadó showed on Tuesday that he can be a viable option in that position. He also played right-back last season, and that versatility has earned him the nickname “Joshua” among his teammates.

That is an obvious reference to Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich star and a Barça target who is unlikely to come this summer but might join next season and reunite with Flick. Casadó spoke to the press on Thursday to address the comparison, and he’s happy to see his versatility recognized by his teammates.

“They say I look a bit like [Kimmich] physically, and since I also played as a right-back last season, they like to joke about it.”

Casadó also shed some light on Hansi Flick’s coaching and man-management style, and promised to work hard to earn the coach’s trust and play more minutes this season.

“[Flick] is highly approachable. We’ve felt it since day one, and he talks with us a lot. He’s an excellent coach, and he works us hard both tactically and physically.

“I’m giving 100%, and I believe I have both the desire and the level [to earn more minutes].

Source: FC Barcelona

One of the very few positives of Barça’s financial crisis was that it forced the coaches to look at the academy and give real chances to youngsters like Casadó, Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, Gavi, Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Balde and so many others in recent years. If Casadó does indeed live up to his “Joshua” nickname, he might become a real option for Flick and Barça might save quite a few million euros instead of trying to sign the real Kimmich.

Time will tell if Casadó is the Catalan Kimmich, but the early signs are encouraging.