Barcelona want to renew the contracts of two important first-team players – Report | OneFootball

One of Deco’s biggest wins as FC Barcelona’s sporting director to date is his ability to get important first-team players to sign a new contract and extend their stay at the club.

It looks like he is already planning ahead with two players who have grown in importance under Hansi Flick. Rather than waiting, the club now want to improve the contracts of Gerard Martin and Marc Bernal so their deals better reflect the roles they currently hold in the squad.

According to Mundo Deportivo, both players signed renewals in 2025, but Barca now feel their progression has changed the picture enough to revisit those terms. A new salary is likely to be in the works.

Gerard’s case appears to be the more urgent one. The left-back renewed until 2028 in January 2025, with a release clause of €100 million, but that figure now looks relatively low given how regularly he is starting.

Gerard is no longer just a useful squad option. He is currently among the top 3 central defenders at the club and has taken advantage of the minutes Flick has given him, which makes it easy to understand why the club want to protect themselves and reward his rise at the same time.

Bernal’s situation is slightly different, mainly because Barca already covered themselves better. He signed until 2029 in September, after the club showed faith in him during his recovery from a long injury, and his release clause was set at €500 million.

Even so, he deserves a salary bump. A player does not come back from a major setback, reclaim his place and immediately force another contract rethink unless the club see him as a major part of the future. Bernal has clearly reached that point.

Both players will be important to Hansi Flick in the important games that lie ahead for the rest of the season. Let’s wait and see how long it takes before the Spanish duo put pen to paper on a new deal.