Xavi confirms Barcelona's interest in Bernardo Silva
Barcelona's manager Xavi has confirmed their interest in signing Manchester City's creative midfielder Bernardo Silva this summer
Despite Barcelona's inability to register Jules Koundé since securing the signature of the Frenchman from Sevilla, they appear to be still active in the transfer market, seeking to add another name to their squad.
The Spanish club have done excellent business this summer, signing Raphinha, Jules Koundé, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessié, and Andreas Christensen. However, they are still unsatisfied with their squad depth, with Xavi confirming their interest in Manchester City talent Bernardo Silva.
"Who doesn't like Bernardo Silva? "And De Bruyne or Haaland," Xavi said in a post-match conference after a charity match with the Premier League club. "I love Bernardo as a player. He understands everything. He is a very important player for City who makes a difference. I like him because there are only a few players like him."
Despite Barcelona's interest in the Portuguese star, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had revealed his intention of keeping him at Etihad but did not overrule the possibility of him leaving this season.
"I don't want Bernardo Silva to leave, but as I have always said, I don't want players to be unhappy here," Guardiola responded when asked about the rumour. "If a good offer arrived, and he wanted to leave with two clubs reaching an agreement, we would see." Bernardo likes Barcelona a lot."
Bernardo Silva is known to be a great fan of Barcelona and had previously communicated with Manchester City about his dream of playing for the Catalans.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed a brilliant career in the Premier League since moving to Manchester City from Monaco, winning all the domestic trophies, including four Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, two FA Community Shields and an FA Cup.
Read also:
He has been a key part of Guardiola's squad in the past five years due to his excellent creativity, dribbling, and scoring ability, which has helped him thrive in Manchester City's in-depth squad, but he feels it is time for a new challenge, a scenario which is common among players.
With Barcelona still expecting to release Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Memphis Depay from the first team, the club manager Xavi wants to use the opportunity to lure Bernardo Silva to his team as he prepares to compete for trophies this season.
Though Barcelona are yet to submit an offer for the gifted midfielder, they are expected to do so in the coming days to secure the deal before the transfer window closes.