A second chance for Marc Bernal

BarcelonaThe technical departments of Barça and Girona have been in constant contact for weeks. It's no secret that the Montilivi club is looking for reinforcements in this winter transfer window and has seen the Catalan club as a good opportunity to poach players. The problem, as so often happens, is finances, so at Montilivi they're not thinking about signings but rather loan deals until the end of the season. Relations between the clubs are good. Furthermore, from a sporting perspective, Barça considers Girona a good option, since the coach, Míchel, has an attacking style of play that he wants to emulate at the Camp Nou. Quique Cárcel, Girona's sporting director, wants one reinforcement per position. For goalkeeper, the name they like best is Marc-André ter Stegen. Initially, the Barça captain, relegated to the bench since the signing of Joan Garcia, wasn't interested in leaving and wanted to stay in Barcelona to fight for a starting spot. But Girona are persisting and believe that, before the transfer window closes at the end of January, they can secure the player's agreement – they already have Barça's from the start.

There's a second name that Montilivi also likes a lot: Marc Bernal. The young midfielder from Berguedà would be a perfect fit for Míchel's system. A deep-lying attacking midfielder who would get the playing time he hasn't been getting at the Camp Nou since recovering from his unfortunate knee injury. Girona are also pursuing him, but for now, Bernal doesn't seem keen on a move either. The player's main option, who turned 18 last summer, is to stay at Barça and fight for playing time, even if it's less demanding, like the matches he played this Thursday in the Copa del Rey in Santander. However, the possibility remains open, and Girona still believes it's possible to convince all parties involved. In this case, there's also some reluctance at the Catalan club to let him go, even if only until the end of the season.

And yet, Bernal's return to the first team hasn't gone as either he or the club imagined. A product of Barça's youth academy, he burst onto the scene at the start of the 2024-25 season, becoming the starting defensive midfielder, until he tore his cruciate ligaments in the third match and was sidelined for over a year. Bernal had already been warned that he would struggle to get playing time initially. In fact, it wasn't expected that he would be able to play a full match until well into 2026. From a medical standpoint, everything is going well. There's no indication of a relapse. The problem lies with the coach, who has noticed some things that don't quite sit right with him.

Hansi Flick is a wily veteran who knows how to handle players with a delicate touch. Although there are some attitudes in the locker room that he doesn't approve of, he understands that he's managing a group with many young players who have a different perspective and culture than his own. The manager has learned to look the other way when necessary. He accepts and understands the desire to party, as long as everyone adheres to the established standards of commitment and professionalism in training.

Hansi Flick's wake-up call to Marc Bernal

Weeks ago, the coach noticed that Bernal's performance was below expectations. That's why he even had fewer minutes than planned. When Girona inquired about the player, Flick, as he had done previously with other teammates, decided to sit down with the midfielder from Berguedà and give him a wake-up call. He told him he expected more and urged him to step up, both on and off the pitch. Otherwise, he warned him that he wouldn't have a prominent role and that he would gladly accept a loan move. Sources close to Bernal say the player understood the message and maintain that he has already taken the step forward the coach wanted. Meanwhile, the club is unsure what to do with Bernal. With a first-team squad number and a contract until 2029, Barça sees the midfielder from Berguedà as a great investment for the future and doesn't want to let him go. The question is whether a loan to Girona would be beneficial, just as Eric Garcia was able to take a step forward at Montilivi during his loan spell. For the moment, the prevailing theory is that Bernal will continue with Barça. However, since no one has definitively ruled out a move to Girona, the sporting directors at Montilivi still believe it's a possibility.