Marc Casado (foto: uradna spletna stran kluba)
Deportivo La Coruña have signed Barcelona's Marc Casadó and Atlético Madrid defender José María Giménez on loan, adding two major names to their ambitious La Liga project.
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Deportivo La Coruña completed two eye-catching deals on the final day of the transfer window, signing
Marc Casadó from Barcelona and José María Giménez from Atlético Madrid on loan.
Both agreements include purchase options, adding two players from Spanish football's biggest clubs to an increasingly ambitious Deportivo squad. The Galician side returned to La Liga last season after years away from the top flight, but their summer recruitment suggests survival is not their only objective.
Casadó leaves Barcelona in search of regular football
The 22-year-old Casadó will spend the remainder of the season at Riazor, with Barcelona continuing to cover a significant part of his salary. Deportivo have secured a €30m purchase option, although activating a clause of that size would represent an enormous financial commitment for the club.
Casadó enjoyed his breakthrough at Barcelona two seasons ago under Hansi Flick, taking advantage of Frenkie de Jong's injury to establish himself in the starting XI. His performances also earned him a place in the Spain squad, and he made his senior international debut against Denmark in the Nations League in November 2024.
His role subsequently diminished. Casadó made 34 appearances across all competitions last season, including 24 in La Liga, six in the Champions League and four in the Copa del Rey, but accumulated fewer than 1,000 league minutes.
Betis, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica were among the clubs interested in him, while Beşiktaş and Galatasaray were also mentioned as possible destinations. Casadó preferred to remain in Spain, and Barcelona's willingness to cover a substantial portion of his wages helped Deportivo complete the deal.
Giménez brings experience from Atlético Madrid
Deportivo have added even greater experience in defence with the arrival of José María Giménez, for many years one of Diego Simeone's most trusted players at Atlético Madrid.
Injuries have increasingly disrupted the Uruguay international's career, however, and he managed only 16 league appearances last season. Giménez also started the new campaign outside the starting XI, coming off the bench against Villarreal and Sevilla.
Atlético have now agreed to let him leave on loan and will continue paying a significant part of his salary. Deportivo also have an option to make his move permanent at the end of the season.
For a club that only recently returned to La Liga, recruiting established players from Barcelona and Atlético on the same day represents a remarkable statement of intent.
Is a new Super Depor beginning to emerge?
Casadó and Giménez are only part of Deportivo's ambitious summer.
The Galician club have also signed celebrated Gabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while retaining outstanding winger Yeremay Hernández despite significant interest from clubs across Europe.
It has inevitably revived memories of Super Depor, the celebrated Deportivo side that became one of Spanish and European football's most entertaining teams around the turn of the century.
Players such as Juan Carlos Valerón, Roy Makaay, Djalminha, Rivaldo and Diego Tristán helped transform Deportivo from an outsider into a genuine force. The club won major honours, challenged Spain's traditional giants and became a formidable presence in the Champions League.
The current project still has an enormous distance to travel before comparisons with that era can be taken literally. Yet the transformation of Deportivo's squad is impossible to ignore.
A club that spent years fighting its way back towards the elite now has Aubameyang, Casadó, Giménez and Yeremay in the same squad. For supporters at Riazor who remember Deportivo's golden years, the idea of Super Depor 2.0 no longer feels quite as fanciful as it once did.