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Arsenal explored deal to sign Barcelona’s Marc Bernal

By on October 14, 2026

Arsenal reportedly explored the possibility of signing Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal, as per TEAMtalk.

After letting Christian Norgaard leave this summer, the Gunners decided to reinforce the engine room by purchasing Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United.

The 28-year-old has mainly featured as a rotational option under Mikel Arteta this season; still, he has scored two extremely important goals in the Premier League.

Apart from the Brazilian, Arsenal currently have Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi as deeper midfield options. However, Zubimendi has recently sustained an ankle problem.

Now, TEAMtalk state that before purchasing Guimaraes, Arsenal showed a serious interest in signing Bernal this summer but didn’t make a concrete approach.

Apart from the Gunners, Chelsea and Manchester United expressed their interest in the youngster. Moreover, Manchester City and Aston Villa have kept a close eye on him in recent times.

Liverpool have even recently joined the race to buy him to strengthen the midfield department next year. However, the report state that Bernal isn’t keen on leaving and is edging closer to signing a fresh contract until 2031, with a £420m[€500m] release clause set to be included in the deal.

Bernal to Arsenal

Bernal, standing at 6ft 4in tall, likes to be deployed in the deep-lying playmaker position but can provide cover in the box-to-box role if needed. He is a left-footed, technically gifted player and is efficient in playing line-breaking passes.

After rising through the Blaugrana’s famous La Masia academy, Bernal made his first-team debut a couple of years ago. But he remained sidelined throughout the 2024/25 campaign due to a serious knee problem.

Upon returning to full fitness, the youngster has been featuring as a rotational option under Hansi Flick in recent times. He has registered two assists in only three starts this season.

The 19-year-old is considered one of the best young midfielders in the world and has already made his international debut for Spain after showing glimpses of his qualities in La Liga.

Therefore, Bernal would have been a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal with a view to the long-term future had they managed to secure his services this summer.