Revealed: Truth behind Atletico Madrid interest in Barcelona starlet

Atletico Madrid have signed a number of Barcelona players in recent years, and they have set their sights on another deal in 2026. In recent months, they have been linked with a summer move for Marc Bernal, and last week, they met with the representatives of the talented teenage midfielder.

Bernal had a difficult 12-15 months after tearing his ACL in September 2024, and he struggled to establish himself in the regular starting line-up upon his return to action a year later. That led to some concerns about his future at the Spotify Camp Nou, which is where Atleti’s interest emerged from.

Recently, Bernal has been firmly in Hansi Flick’s plans, which is why a move was ruled out in January. As per MD, Atleti were one of the clubs to ask about the 18-year-old during the winter transfer window, but they were told in no uncertain terms that Barcelona would not consider any offers.

After that snub, Atleti decided to end their interest in Bernal, as it became clear that getting him out of Barcelona would be impossible. They have since turned their attention to other targets, with one of those being Atalanta’s Ederson dos Santos.

Agent meeting had nothing to do with Bernal

The aforementioned meeting that took place last week between Atleti sporting director and agent Raúl Verdú, who represents Bernal, did not concern the Barcelona midfielder, the report has revealed. Discussions took place regarding a number of other players, but the teenager was not a topic that was spoken about.

It is no surprise that Barcelona have absolutely no plans to part ways with Bernal. He’s shown himself to be a top talent whenever he has adorned the Blaugrana jersey, so Atleti were always fighting a losing battle in their efforts to convince him to move to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in 2026.

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