There are only a few weeks left in this summer transfer window, and FC Barcelona are still in the market for some new players. Two positions that the club is particularly looking to strengthen in the remaining transfer window are the right-back and the midfield.
For this latter position, the club has a clear favorite; Bernardo Silva. The Manchester City midfielder has been liked by Barcelona for a number of seasons now, and the Portuguese has been linked quite strongly with Barcelona during the current summer.
Silva is one of the most important players in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City squad, and his importance has increased further as other experienced players like Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez have already left the Manchester club this summer.
Previously, it was reported that Bernardo Silva is looking for a move away from Manchester City, as he now wants to live closer to his native Portugal. Barcelona fits his criteria both geographically and sportingly, and this match fuelled news and rumors of his arrival at Barcelona.
However, the Catalans seem to be running out of time to sign Silva. According to Mundo Deportivo, the player is not willing to wait much more for the Blaugranes, and he is close to accepting a renewal offer from Manchester City. Still, the player will wait one or two days more for Barcelona to make a committed approach for him.
The report claims that Silva’s entourage is confused by the behavior of FC Barcelona. The Catalan club got in touch with his agent, and communicated that he was their main target this summer. He is the favourite candidate of Xavi for this summer and the rest of the club is also okay with his incorporation.
Still, this interest has not materialized into a formal offer for the player, as no one from Barcelona has gone to hold talks with Manchester City, despite Guardiola’s public request to do so before City’s Community Shield clash against Arsenal. The former Barcelona coach said:
“If someone wants it, they’ll get on a plane and come here to talk to our sports director and CEO. In any case, we haven’t received a suitable offer yet.”
One of the offers that Barcelona made for Silva was that of a loan with an obligatory purchase option. However, Manchester City found this offer ridiculous, as they remain inflexible and want a big transfer fee to let Silva leave.
Thus, the next two days would be crucial for Barcelona, as Silva may not be waiting for the Catalans much longer.
