Bernardo Silva is set to turn down approaches from Barcelona this summer and remain in Manchester, according to reports coming out of England.
The Portuguese maestro was thought to be the key transfer target for the Blaugrana this summer, and for his part was reportedly ‘obsessed’ with the idea of joining Xavi Hernandez at the Camp Nou. However, it was always going to be a difficult deal to pursue, with Manchester City holding out for a fee of around 80m euros to part ways with their star.
Now, as per the Athletic, the deal is effectively dead, with Silva happy to continue at the Etihad Stadium until at least next summer.
“Bernardo is ready to commit his immediate future to City and abandon any thoughts of a move for this season at least”, they report.
“City feel it would be almost impossible to find a replacement player with the same qualities”, they add, with just two weeks of the transfer window left.
This, of course, may change next season, but for now it appears as though Bernardo’s Barcelona dream must wait.
Knock-on effect for De Jong?
One man who may be allowed to now continue his is midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman has been subject to continued speculation all summer, first linking him with a move to Manchester United, and more recently a switch to Chelsea, as Barcelona looked to cash in on their asset.
However, his departure was rumoured to be contingent on the arrival of Silva, with Barcelona unwilling to lose a midfielder of his quality without an adequate replacement. With that deal now off, De Jong could be able to remain a Barcelona player beyond the transfer deadline.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/xlmedia/75056cb2-70a2-47ac-a9bf-dc86877bc260.png)
