Pep Guardiola delight as £70m Man City star proves too costly for Euro giants, but alternative transfer route could emerge
Pep Guardiola has been given a boost amid reports Barcelona cannot afford to sign Bernardo Silva from Manchester City, although the attacking midfielder could still join another European heavyweight.
Silva has admitted in the past he would like to take part in a new challenge. A move away from City could occur in one of the next few transfer windows as his contract at the Etihad expires in June 2025 and he is unlikely to agree a fresh one.
Barca manager Xavi is thought to be a big fan of Silva. He has the technical ability to fit into Xavi’s system and become a real hit among Barca fans.
Earlier this month, there were claims City had lowered their asking price for Silva. Guardiola’s side had reportedly reduced it to £57million, which gave Barca hoping of completing a City raid for the Portugal international.
But according to an update from Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, those previous claims are wide of the mark.
City have told Barca that Silva will only be leaving Manchester if a bid worth between €70-80m (£62-70m) arrives.
Barca could have just about reached the previous £57m fee by selling some of their current stars. Raphinha and Ansu Fati are two players who could depart the Camp Nou amid Premier League interest.
However, City holding out for £62-70m means Silva is out of Barca’s reach. Their dire financial situation means they simply cannot pay such a fee for one player.
Barcelona out of running, but PSG could still get City player
Guardiola will be delighted by this news as Silva remains an important player in his squad. That is despite the 28-year-old being so open about a move to a different league.
Unfortunately for Guardiola, Barca are not the only major European club keeping tabs on Silva. Friday’s Euro Paper Talk included Paris Saint-Germain eyeing up a summer move for Silva.
PSG chief Luis Campos is a huge fan of his compatriot and is willing to spend big money on him during the next transfer window. While Barca’s funds are restricted, PSG have huge financial power.
Silva could make a massive impact at PSG. The Ligue 1 leaders are once again out of the Champions League following a last-16 defeat to Bayern Munich.
Silva has the creativity and eye for goal which would help PSG hugely in the final third. But he is also hard-working and would track back defensively, something which PSG midfielders need when Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi can be so lazy.
As mentioned earlier, Silva leaving would be a significant blow for Guardiola. However, City do have some top midfielders and attackers who would be able to fill in for the ex-Monaco man. They include Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Julian Alvarez and Cole Palmer.
Meanwhile, Joao Cancelo looks set to be rejected by loan club Bayern and could instead move to a different European giant this summer.
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