Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has plenty of areas to address in his squad this summer
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Barcelona are currently locked in a battle with Real Madrid for the La Liga title and sit one point ahead of their bitter rivals with 21 gameweeks in the books.
With the pair well clear of third-placed Atletico Madrid, it looks like another two-horse race is on the cards and one that could go all the way to the wire.
Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has Barcelona hopesFlick is likely to have a lengthy shopping list this summer, with a centre-back and striker two priorities, while the club will also make a decision on Marcus Rashford, who is spending the season on loan at the Camp Nou.
The Manchester United man has netted eight times and dished up 12 assists this season, with his loan deal containing an option to buy, but should Barca pull the trigger, Rashford may not be the only player swapping Manchester for Catalonia.
No player has played more times for Pep Guardiola than Bernardo Silva (Image credit: PA Images)According to Spanish outlet Sport, Manchester City attacker Bernardo Silva is keen on moving to Barcelona, who previously held an interest in him in 2022 and 2023.
The Portuguese international is into the final six months of his contract at the Etihad, with the expectation being that he will not sign new terms with the Premier League side.
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However, the report claims that the Barcelona hierarchy do not have plans to sign the 31-year-old, as their current batch of midfielders – including the likes of Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Marc Casado and Marc Bernal – have the backing of the team at this point.
Ranked at no.70 in FourFourTwo’s list of the greatest Premier League players of all time, Silva joined Manchester City in 2017 and has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and a Champions League during his time at the Etihad.
The former Benfica and Monaco man also has the honour of playing more games under Pep Guardiola than any other player, with his 438 appearances under the former Barca boss the most by some distance.
Silva joined Manchester City in 2017 (Image credit: Getty Images)But despite this, it sounds like Silva’s dream move is unlikely to happen, and in FourFourTwo’s view, it’s easy to see why Barcelona are not looking to make a deal.
The club’s recent financial limitations are well-documented and as a free agen,t Silva would require a hefty salary, money which would be better spent in other areas of the pitch.
Silva doesn’t turn 32 until the start of next season and should be able to find a big-name European suitor if he wants to keep playing at the highest level.
For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.
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