Out of favour Barcelona player unlikely to complete January loan move

Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal has been back from injury for the past 3.5 months, but manager Hansi Flick has been taking his return slow and steady. It has raised questions in Catalonia as to whether he might benefit from a loan move.

His return to action has been steadier than he would like, with just 189 minutes accumulated over seven appearances. One of those has been a start, but he was withdrawn at half-time against Alaves. Girona were interested in bringing him in on loan until the end of the season, and in December, it was reported that an increasingly frustrated Bernal would consider a temporary spell elsewhere.

Bernal decides against loan move in January

Nevertheless, MD say that Barcelona will not consider a loan exit for Bernal, unless there is an unexpected change of stance. The Blaugrana were encouraged by his physical improvement at the end of 2025, and believe that he could be given more minutes in the second half of the season as a result. For his part, Bernal is not keen to leave either, but has not ruled out a switch.

Flick hopes to give Bernal game time in less tense situations

This tallies with a report earlier in the week from Sport, which suggests that Flick feels Bernal could give the side fresh impetus in 2026. The Barcelona coaching staff were keen to avoid putting Bernal into tight games early on after his return, but with the team struggling for consistency, giving him minutes in more relaxed scenarios has proven difficult. Flick has publicly promised more game time for Bernal too.

Mika Mármol has an expiring contract, and Las Palmas take if for granted that he'll leave this month. FC Barcelona have 50% over the defender's economic rights, so they are attentive to the situation. Another option that could be contemplated is bringing him back. [@gbsans] pic.twitter.com/YKbhDiTLQQ

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) January 3, 2026

With the Copa del Rey coming up, and two games against theoretically less demanding opponents in Slavia Prague and Copenhagen, Flick should have the chance to do so in the coming weeks. His intention is that over the coming weeks Bernal becomes a reliable option for rotations, as opposed to the reduced role he has currently.

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