After chasing Bernardo Silva’s signature throughout the entirety of last summer, it seems as if Barcelona have reignited their interest in the Manchester City superstar ahead of the 2022/23 season.
With midfield lynchpin Frenkie de Jong all but set to move to Manchester United, it has been widely reported that the Spanish giants eye the Portuguese international as a replacement for the outgoing Dutchman.
Despite all the signs pointing to Xavi’s side going all guns blazing to sign Bernardo Silva, it has been revealed how the Sky Blues will fend off the interest in one of their most pivotal players this summer.
As per a report by Simon Mullock of the Mirror, Manchester City are understood to be demanding a fee in ‘excess’ of £80 million for Bernardo Silva if Barcelona hike up their interest in signing the player.
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It has also been claimed that while Pep Guardiola was willing to sanction Bernardo Silva’s sale to the Catalan giants last season, the 27-year old’s incredible displays over the course of the 2021/22 campaign are said to have raised his status to ‘indispensable’ within this Manchester City side.
Additionally, the Blaugrana boss is believed to be a ‘huge admirer’ of the ex-Monaco star and is open to offload Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United, a sale which could potentially land £70 million in the club’s transfer kitty and be utilised towards the Manchester City star’s signing this summer.
However, the report also reveals that senior sources within the Sky Blues are ‘adamant’ that the former Ajax midfielder’s sale will not generate ‘enough cash’ to convince those at the club to sell Bernardo Silva.
With the club linked to the likes of Marc Cucurella and Kalvin Phillips - as their focus remains on bolstering areas such as left-back and defensive midfield ahead of next season - it is impossible to imagine Manchester City digging themselves into a hole of searching for a replacement for a virtually irreplaceable player.
Topics: Manchester City, Bernardo Silva, Barcelona
Srinivas Sadhanand