Liverpool Tracking Barcelona's Marc Bernal as New Defensive Midfield Target

Liverpool's hunt for a new defensive midfielder continues with the club highlighting an FC Barcelona academy graduate as a possible option for Andoni Iraola in the middle of the pitch.

The Reds have had clear issues in the midfield for a few years now, with many fans suggesting that the club never really replaced the defensive solidity of Fabinho when he left in 2023. 

Players have come in and tried to fill the void left by the Brazilian, but no one, as of yet, has been able to offer the LFC backline the defensive support that Fabinho brought for so many years.

The likes of Wataru Endo came in as a stop-gap, short-term solution before Ryan Gravenberch assumed the number six role.

And while he had a standout season in the 2024/25 season, helping Liverpool and then manager Arne Slot win the club's 20th league title, he has been struggling with the defensive side of the role in recent seasons, and has left many thinking now is the time to buy an actual ready-made defensive midfielder.

And the most recent links are pointing towards Barcelona's Marc Bernal.

The 19 year old has had a remarkable rise into the first-team set-up at Barcelona in the last few years.

Making his first appearance at the age of 17, Bernal was immediately impressive, enough that, in the following season, partly due to several injuries but also the quality of player that Marc Bernal was at such a young age, he was given the chance to be a regular part of the Barcelona team.

Starting nine games and making a total of 22 appearances in La Liga in 2025/26, displaying top skills and attributes that made him one of Europe's top performers.

Physically dominated, 6'4", tactical awareness at an elite level and has received comparisons to the legendary Sergio Busquets, which shows just how highly he is thought of by regular viewers of Barcelona and Marc Bernal.

So far this campaign, his starting XI minutes have been minimal due to Barcelona having a strong amount of depth, particularly in the middle of the pitch, and if the reports are true, an exit could be on the cards in the near future.

According to Juan Jesus, Liverpool and La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid are closely monitoring the situation of Marc Bernal.

Bernal is said to want to prove himself to Hansi Flick, but should his game time not improve under the German head coach, then the situation could change.

This is unlikely to happen until next summer, but a permanent exit would be highly likely should Bernal be unhappy with his role within the Barcelona squad, despite the Catalan club not wanting to sell the young talent.

Comment Below: Would You Like Marc Bernal At Liverpool Next Summer, If He Becomes Available?