Barcelona reassure youngster that he will remain a key pillar of the project; will extend contract until 2031 | OneFootball

According to SPORT, the scheduled meeting between Marc Bernal’s agents and FC Barcelona sporting director Deco on Wednesday ended on a very positive note for both sides.

The midfielder has never doubted his desire to remain at Barcelona, despite receiving offers from major European clubs.

However, there had been some concern in his camp due to the imminent signing of Rodri, which is expected to be completed in the coming days.

As such, Frederico Pena and Raul Verdu, the two agents representing the La Masia midfielder, arrived at the Ciutat Esportiva to meet with Deco. The meeting ended with complete confidence on both sides.

Commitment affirmed

Barcelona have no desire to part with its academy product and considers him highly important both now and for the future. The club made it clear that Bernal will remain an important player despite Rodri’s arrival.

Bernal will remain a key pillar. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

In fact, both sides agreed on a substantial improvement to Bernal’s contract starting in September, together with an extension.

Bernal is currently under contract with Barcelona until 2029, and that commitment could be extended until 2031.

Barcelona do not want to lose one of the most promising players to emerge from La Masia.

No doubts from Bernal either

Bernal has no desire to leave either, although he had received offers from major Premier League clubs that would have been willing to invest heavily in him.

Teams such as Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City saw an opportunity to sign the teenage midfielder.

The player has always wanted to continue wearing the Blaugrana shirt and pursue his dream after spending two seasons with the first team.

Rodri’s arrival will not halt his development. Bernal will continue to receive playing time and could learn a great deal from having the Ballon d’Or winner alongside him.

Barcelona’s confidence in him, and the player’s confidence in the club, are both absolute.

BARCELONA, New contract soon. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

However, the agreed salary improvement will not take effect until September because of Financial Fair Play considerations.

The Blaugrana have already used this formula in other player renewals so that the salary increase does not count against the current financial year, as was the case with Eric Garcia.

A promise Barcelona intend to keep

The midfielder renewed his contract in September 2025 until June 30, 2029, with a €500 million release clause.

However, that agreement left one issue unresolved. The sporting department had committed to reviewing his salary once the player had definitively established himself within the first-team setup.

That moment has now arrived, and the Catalans intend to honour that promise.

For Deco and Hansi Flick, Bernal is one of La Masia’s most important projects for the future, and they conveyed that message to his representatives during Wednesday’s meeting.

The sporting director wanted to personally convey that confidence and eliminate any doubts about the role Bernal will have in the new Barcelona project.