Manchester City will demand a fee of around €85-95 million to allow Bernardo Silva to leave the club, reports Fabrizio Romano on the Here We Go podcast.
The Portuguese midfielder is a key target for Barcelona, with manager Xavi said to be ‘obsessed’ with the 27-year-old.
However, City boss Pep Guardiola is expecting Silva to remain with the club despite the heavy interest.
Manchester City to Demand ‘€85-95 Million’ for Bernardo Silva
Barcelona and Xavi are obsessed with Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese would love to discuss a possible deal with Barça.
— @FabrizioRomano pic.twitter.com/pZ9WduKc2f
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) June 17, 2022
Guardiola Doesn’t Want Unhappy Players
Bernardo Silva has been a key player for City since his arrival at the club in 2017. However, given the sheer size of City’s squad and the amount of talent within that squad, playing time can become an issue for some players – particularly forwards.
This was not an issue last season, but with Jack Grealish expected to play a bigger role at the club going forward following a bit-part first campaign after his arrival from Aston Villa, Silva could find game time limited.
The opportunity to play for Barcelona is also something that not a lot of players can turn down, particularly when they are as wanted as he is.
Reporter Ferran Martinez says that there has been an agreement between Guardiola and Silva since last summer that he could leave the club if the right offer came along.
At the unveiling of City’s summer friendly match with Barcelona, Guardiola said that while he expected Silva to stay this year, he does not want “unhappy players” or those who are not committed to the club.
The midfielder has previously stated that he has felt homesick at times during his stay in England – particularly during lockdown – and would be open to a move away.
