Liverpool's threat the secret word in the renewal of the Barcelona player's contract

The Reds tried to seize the opportunity

Barcelona have reached an agreement with young midfielder Marc Bernal to renew his contract until 2031, with a release clause worth 500 million euros, in a move designed to ward off the clubs interested in signing him, chief among them Liverpool.

Spanish newspaper "Sport" report that the club will announce the new deal officially within the next few days.

Liverpool and Atletico Madrid both circled Bernal last summer. The English club went furthest, lining up an offer of around 60 million euros for the summer of 2027.

Andoni Iraola, the Liverpool manager, rates the player's qualities and his potential for development especially highly. The plan was simple: hand Bernal the minutes he would lose if his chances at Barcelona dried up.

Hansi Flick has had other ideas. Since the start of this season the Barca coach has shown he can juggle his squad's minutes, and Bernal is getting plenty of opportunities to feature.

Bernal belongs to the 2007 generation at the "La Masia" academy now making their mark with the first team.

This is his third season in the senior squad. An injury picked up at the Vallecas stadium wiped out his first campaign, in which he started only two matches, and left him struggling for continuity in his second. He is still at the beginning of his journey, while team-mates from the same generation, such as Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, have reached the summit and won several titles.

Competition in the Barcelona midfield is fierce. Last season it featured Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez, before the club signed Rodrigo Hernandez "Rodri", the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner.

Deco, Barcelona's sporting director, has pushed through a string of renewals covering current stars such as Raphinha and rising talents like Xavi Espart, who recently extended his deal until 2030. Bernal's is the latest.