Manchester City eye Barcelona midfield talent as their Rodri successor | OneFootball

Manchester City have identified Marc Bernal as one of their priority midfield targets, but FC Barcelona have no intention of allowing one of their brightest academy graduates to leave.

This interest follows another impressive year for the 19-year-old, who has established himself as one of Hansi Flick’s most trusted young players and is now viewed as a cornerstone of the club’s future.

According to SPORT, City have made initial enquiries about Bernal as they prepare for a possible midfield overhaul, amid uncertainty over the futures of both Rodri and former Barcelona midfielder Nico Gonzalez.

The Premier League giants are said to be searching for two young midfielders with the physical profile and technical quality to help lead their next generation.

Bernal has emerged as one of three standout candidates, alongside Lille talent Ayyoub Bouaddi and Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlovic.

City’s admiration for the Barcelona youngster dates back to his breakthrough under Flick, when Pep Guardiola is said to have been hugely impressed by the teenager’s performances, even comparing aspects of his game to Sergio Busquets.

That interest has never faded, and City now appear ready to test Barcelona’s resolve.

Barcelona must move quickly to secure Bernal’s future

Despite the growing attention from England, Barcelona remain in a strong position.

Bernal signed a new contract running until 2029 and has a €500 million release clause, making a transfer extremely unlikely this summer.

However, the club are aware that his current salary no longer reflects his importance to the first team. A contract improvement had been planned for later this year, but interest from clubs such as Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea could encourage Barcelona to accelerate those talks.

From Barca’s perspective, there should be no debate.

With Frenkie de Jong facing a spell on the sidelines, Bernal is expected to play an even bigger role this season. Flick has consistently shown enormous faith in the midfielder, viewing him as the natural holding player around whom Barcelona’s midfield can be built.

Bernal himself has repeatedly made it clear that he wants to stay at Barcelona, the club he considers home.

That is the most encouraging part for Barca supporters. Interest from Europe’s biggest clubs is inevitable when a young player develops this quickly, but Barcelona hold all the key cards. The priority now is to reward Bernal with a new deal that reflects both his value today and the central role he is expected to play for years to come.