British media outlet sportbible and Catalan media have confirmed that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a big admirer of Barcelona’s La Masia academy product, 17-year-old Marc Bernal, and has made a “monster” offer to the Blaugrana.
Born in May 2007, Bernal is a standout product of the La Masia academy, a regular in the Spain U17 national team. He made 31 appearances for Barcelona B last season, scoring 2 goals and providing 3 assists. He also represented Spain U17 in the 2023 European U17 Championship and the FIFA U17 World Cup, where his performances in both tournaments drew significant attention. Many experts believe that the defensive midfielder has a bright future.
Arsenal are actively looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the new Premier League season, with the manager looking to bolster the midfield. In recent seasons, with the help of Spanish coaches, Arsenal have made significant progress, but they are still some distance away from challenging Manchester City. The manager believes that increasing the depth of the midfield will help close the gap on the Sky Blues.
Arsenal are currently pursuing Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino, but Arteta is also interested in Bernal. However, according to Catalan sources, it is not certain if Barcelona would be willing to let Bernal go, as new manager Flick is also keeping an eye on the young talent and sees him as a potential “successor to Busquets.”
Busquets played for Barcelona for 15 years, winning 9 league titles and 3 Champions League trophies. The legendary player left Barcelona in 2023, and it has proven difficult to find his successor. Barcelona are currently trying to sign Real Sociedad’s Zubimendi, but Flick is also very keen on Bernal, encouraging him to turn down Arsenal’s offer and stay with the Blaugrana.
Flick intends to make Bernal a regular member of the Barcelona first team next season. In this context, Arsenal has made a reportedly “monster” offer, and the race for the player has begun.
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