Atletico Madrid has a history of acquiring talent from Barcelona and was reportedly keen on signing another player from the Catalan club in 2026. In recent months, there have been rumors linking them to a summer move for Marc Bernal, a talented teenage midfielder. Last week, Atletico officials met with Bernal’s representatives.
Bernal faced a challenging period in the 12-15 months leading up to September 2024 due to an ACL tear. Upon his return a year later, he struggled to secure a consistent spot in the starting lineup, leading to speculation about his future at Barcelona. This situation is believed to have piqued Atletico’s interest.
However, Bernal has recently become an integral part of Hansi Flick’s plans, which is why any transfer was ruled out in January. According to reports, Atletico Madrid was among the clubs that inquired about the 18-year-old during the winter transfer window. Barcelona, however, made it unequivocally clear that they would not entertain any offers for the player.
Following this firm rejection, Atletico reportedly abandoned their pursuit of Bernal, recognizing the difficulty of prising him away from Barcelona. They have since shifted their focus to other transfer targets, including Ederson dos Santos from Atalanta.
Agent Meeting Clarified: Not About Bernal
Contrary to speculation, the meeting last week between Atletico’s sporting director and Raúl Verdú, Bernal’s agent, did not involve discussions about the Barcelona midfielder. The report indicates that the meeting focused on several other players, with Bernal not being part of the agenda.
It’s unsurprising that Barcelona has no intention of parting ways with Bernal. He has demonstrated his potential as a top talent whenever given the opportunity to play for the Blaugrana. Therefore, Atletico’s attempts to persuade him to join them in 2026 were always likely to be unsuccessful.
