News Focus
- Both clubs want Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva on a free transfer
- Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella is also a target for the La Liga rivals
- Silva will delay his decision until after the World Cup with Portugal
- The transfer race follows a public dispute over Julian Alvarez
- Atletico hold a financial advantage over Barcelona this summer
Spanish football giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are preparing for a major transfer clash. Both clubs want to sign the same two stars from the Premier League before the new season starts.
The first target is Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese midfielder currently plays for Manchester City. His contract ends on 30 June 2026. This means he can leave the club for free. Atletico looked like the favourites to sign him earlier this year. However, Barcelona have now caught up in the race.
Silva is 31 years old. He plans to wait until after the World Cup to choose his next club. This delay gives Barcelona extra time. The Catalan club needs to solve their money problems first. They must follow La Liga’s strict spending rules before they can register new players.
The second player is Marc Cucurella. The 26-year-old left-back plays for Chelsea. He moved to the London club from Brighton in 2022. His contract runs until 2028. Chelsea paid a large fee to sign him. They will want a high price if they sell him.
Cucurella trained at Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy when he was young. This connection gives Barcelona a personal advantage. However, manager Hansi Flick must first decide his plans for the defence. The team expects big changes at the back this summer.
The fight for these players adds heat to an already tense relationship. The two clubs recently argued about striker Julian Alvarez. Atletico say Barcelona never made a €100 million offer for their player. Barcelona disagree with this claim.
Atletico have more money to spend than Barcelona right now. Barcelona still face financial limits from La Liga. The way the Alvarez situation ends may affect how hard each club tries to sign Silva and Cucurella.