According to Diario Sport, Manchester City have set their sights on Barcelona youngster Marc Bernal, and the transfer saga surrounding him may intensify.
Following Paris Saint-Germain's interest in Ferran Torres, Barcelona may now face a new front. ESPN previously reported that the La Masia academy graduate has attracted interest from Premier League clubs such as Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea. Meanwhile, Diario Sport confirms that Manchester City has taken a further step, exploring the possibility of a surprise transfer to strengthen their midfield.
Manchester City are rebuilding their squad and considering the departure of Nico Gonzalez and Rodri in order to complete two major midfield signings. Bernard is one of the most suitable targets for Manchester City's sporting management and coaching staff.
Since Guardiola's departure, Manchester City's rebuilding process has taken away key players such as Bernardo Silva. If Real Madrid makes an offer, Rodri may also be put on the market, and Real Madrid is currently assessing the feasibility of signing him. Besides Rodri, Manchester City has also decided to let go of veteran Kovacic and is looking for a new club for former Barcelona player Nico Gonzalez, who has also attracted interest from several Italian clubs.
Manchester City's plan is to sign two midfielders with great potential, excellent physical attributes, and passing ability. The sporting management has identified three candidates: Lille midfielder Bouadi, who impressed at the U-20 World Cup; Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Pavlovic, who possesses outstanding physical strength; and Marc Bernal. Manchester City have already contacted the Barcelona youngster to assess whether he might actually leave, but at present, this possibility seems very low.
Marc Bernal signed a contract extension last year until 2029 with a release clause of €500 million, so Barcelona could easily keep him. The problem is that the player's development has made his contract clearly outdated. Despite increasing playing time, he remains one of the lowest-paid players in the team. Barcelona's sporting management is well aware that Bernal has attracted a lot of attention in the transfer market and originally planned to start negotiations on a pay rise and contract extension in September. However, due to the anticipated activity before the transfer window closes, the two sides may have to negotiate earlier.
Bernal has always been highly regarded by Hansi Flick. In fact, he was one of Flick's key discoveries at Barcelona. Flick groomed him as the new Busquets after taking over, and gave him playing time after an impressive preseason.
Coincidentally, in Bernal 's first few matches, Guardiola and the Manchester City coaching staff were already amazed by his performance in the defensive midfield position at Barcelona, with the then-Manchester City manager even comparing him to Busquets. From then on, his name was remembered by Manchester City. Later, a knee injury interrupted his upward momentum, but he made a strong comeback and secured a starting position by the end of the season.
This La Masia youngster is seen as one of the leading players in football for the next few years. Both Barcelona and the Spanish national team firmly believe this. Luis de la Fuente has included him in his World Cup qualifying squad and also called him up for the rotation in the pre-tournament friendlies. In his view, Bernal is the ideal successor to Rodri after his national team cycle ends. Manchester City shares the same idea.
Bernal has always made it clear that he wants to stay at Barcelona, and that has never changed. He considers Barcelona his home and is very grateful for the trust Flick and the coaching staff placed in him, as well as their unwavering support after his serious injury. His primary goal is to remain with the club and await an agreement with the club on a mutually beneficial contract extension.
He's aware of his market value, but Barcelona will always be his first choice. For Barcelona, securing a long-term contract with Bernard as soon as possible is more important than ever. With De Jong injured, Bernard has become the clear first-choice striker in front of the defense and should be considered an indispensable core player like Pedri, Joan Garcia, and Yamal. Manchester City knows it won't be easy to poach this academy graduate from Barcelona's first team, but they will still try. Besides Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Atletico Madrid have also expressed interest in him.
