Barcelona teenager turned down multiple offers from European clubs to sign contract extension at club until 2026 - Reports

According to journalist Santi Ovalle, Barcelona youngster Marc Bernal turned down several offers from European giants to sign a new contract with the Catalan club until 2026. The club recently announced Bernal's new deal.

His previous contract was also until 2026 but the new deal has improved terms. He previously had a reported €6 million release clause, which several top European clubs were willing to activate. Bernal, however, has decided to turn those approaches down and stay at Barca.

The midfielder is regarded as a top youngster at the club and is seen as a future midfield pivot. He impressed during his first season with Barca Athletic last term. Bernal reportedly has a clause in his contract that would allow the player to extend his stay at the Catalan club until 2029.

Currently, Bernal is training with Barcelona's first team for pre-season under Hansi Flick. He is also set to be a part of the squad for the pre-season tour in the US. With the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, and Pedri suffering from fitness issues, Bernal could get the chance to showcase his mettle.

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Exploring Barcelona youngster Marc Bernal's qualities

Marc Bernal is a Spain under-17 international and plays as a defensive midfielder or as a central midfielder for Barcelona's youth sides. He currently has a squad number of 27 with the Catalan club's youth teams.

He is deemed as a player similar to Rodri by Football Talents Scout. Passing, vision, ball control, technique, football IQ, and physicality are listed as his strongest traits. While there are no notable weaknesses, the aforementioned report mentions that Bernal could be vulnerable at times as he tends to lose the ball in dangerous positions.

However, considering he is 17, there's ample time to improve that. Barca's famed La Masia academy has produced gems over the years and Bernal could be the next graduate coming through the system,