Barcelona ready to drop interest in Joshua Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi as they plan to bet on 17-year-old midfielder: Reports

Barcelona are reportedly ready to drop their pursuit of signing Joshua Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi, focusing on retaining one of their academy graduates, Marc Bernal. The 17-year-old midfielder started his senior career with the Blaugrana's B team in August 2023.

Both Joshua Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi have reportedly been the top transfer targets for Barcelona for a while now. However, their arch-rivals Real Madrid are also pursuing the Real Sociedad midfielder. Moreover, the Catalan club does not agree with the €60 million price tag for the 26-year-old, according to El Nacional.

Kimmich, meanwhile, is also of interest to several clubs, especially with his contract at Bayern Munich expiring this summer. There's also uncertainty about his future with multiple reports suggesting that the Bundesliga side are trying to get the German midfielder to sign a contract extension.

Hence, Barcelona are looking to put their faith in Marc Bernal, who made his LaLiga debut in August 2024. However, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his left knee in his third appearance later that month. He has been sidelined since, missing 46 club matches so far. His current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2026.

While the injury setback has been an unfavorable event, the Blaugrana believe in Bernal's potential. The young talent has been impressive in his 244 minutes on the pitch and the Catalan club are reportedly interested in seeing more of him following his recovery.

El Nacional reported that Barcelona president Laporta and sporting director Deco are looking forward to the La Masia graduate's return to the pitch and have faith in his abilities. With this, the club have reportedly offered Marc Bernal a new contract which is valid until the summer of 2029.

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Barcelona announced long-term contract extension for Pau Cubarsi

Pau Cubarsi has signed a new contract extension with Barcelona which will keep the defender at Camp Nou until the summer of 2029. The 18-year-old's previous contract was set to expire by the end of the 2026-27 season.

ubarsí made his first team debut for the Catalan side off the bench in a 3-1 win against Unionistas de Salamanca in the Copa del Rey in January 2024. He has been a regular starter this season, contributing to 10 clean sheets in 36 appearances across competitions, while registering three assists.

Overall, Pau Cubarsí has helped the Blaugrana maintain 20 clean sheets and provided four assists in 60 matches.