According to Sport, Manchester City has set its sights on young Barcelona talent Bernal, and the transfer tug-of-war surrounding him may intensify.
Following Paris Saint-Germain's interest in Ferran Torres, Barcelona may now face a new front. ESPN previously revealed that the La Masia academy player has attracted the attention of Premier League clubs such as Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea. Sport confirms that Manchester City has gone a step further, beginning to explore the possibility of an unexpected deal to strengthen its midfield.
Manchester City is restructuring its squad, considering the departure of Nico Gonzalez and Rodri to complete two major midfield signings. For Manchester City's sports management and coaching staff, Bernal is one of the most suitable targets.
After Guardiola's departure, Manchester City's rebuilding has already seen important players like Bernardo Silva leave. If Real Madrid makes an offer, Rodri could also be put on the market, as Real Madrid is evaluating the feasibility of acquiring him. Besides Rodri, Manchester City has also decided to let go of veteran Mateo Kovačić and find a new home for former Barcelona player Nico Gonzalez, who has also attracted interest from several Italian teams.
Manchester City's plan is to sign two midfielders with great potential, excellent physical condition, and passing ability. The three candidates identified by sports management are: Lille midfielder Bouadi, who made a name for himself at the U20 World Cup; Bayern defensive midfielder Pavlovic, who boasts outstanding physical presence; and Bernal. Manchester City has already contacted the young Barcelona player to assess if he might genuinely leave, but for now, this possibility is very low.
Bernal renewed his contract last year until 2029, with a release clause of 500 million euros, so Barcelona can absolutely keep him. The problem is that the player's rapid development has made his contract clearly outdated. Despite increasing playing time, he remains one of the lowest-paid players in the squad. Barcelona's sports management is well aware that Bernal has attracted a lot of attention in the transfer market and had planned to discuss a contract extension with a pay rise starting in September, but with a lot of movement expected before the transfer window closes, both sides may have to negotiate earlier.
Bernal has always been highly regarded by Hans Flick. In fact, he is one of Flick's key discoveries at Barcelona. Flick has been developing him as the new Busquets since taking over and gave him playing opportunities after an impressive pre-season.
Coincidentally, during Bernal's first few matches, Guardiola and the Manchester City coaching staff were already impressed by his performance as a defensive midfielder for Barcelona, with the then-Manchester City coach even comparing him to Busquets. From that moment on, his name was noted by Manchester City. A subsequent knee injury interrupted his momentum, but he has since made a strong comeback and secured a starting position by the end of the season.
The La Masia youngster is seen as one of the leading players in football for years to come. Both Barcelona and the Spanish national team firmly believe this. Luis de la Fuente has included him in the provisional World Cup squad and also called him up for the warm-up matches before that major tournament. In his view, once Rodri's national team cycle ends, Bernal is his ideal successor. Manchester City shares the same sentiment.
Bernal has always clearly stated that he wants to stay at Barcelona, and this has never changed. He considers Barcelona his home and is very grateful for the trust Flick and the coaching staff have shown in him, as well as their unwavering support after his serious injury. His primary goal is to remain with the team and await an agreement with the club on a contract extension that benefits all parties.
He knows his market value, but Barcelona will always be his first choice. For Barcelona, securing a long-term contract with Bernal as soon as possible is now more important than ever. After De Jong's injury, Bernal has become the clearest starter in front of the defense and should be considered an untransferable core player, like Pedri, Joan Garcia, and Yamal. Manchester City knows it won't be easy to poach this academy player from Barcelona's first team, but they will try. In addition to Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Atletico Madrid have also expressed interest in him.
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