Man City star has already ‘decided to leave’ this summer with Barcelona, PSG ready to pounce
Bernardo Silva has already ‘decided to leave’ Manchester City this summer, with Barcelona and PSG ready to battle for his signature, according to reports.
The Portuguese playmaker joined Man City back in 2017 and has racked up over 340 appearances for the club in that timeframe.
He continues to be a vital player for Pep Guardiola’s side to this day, although the speculation surrounding his long-term future has been rife for some time.
At the start of the season, Silva penned a fresh deal with Man City which is valid until 2026, although this deal does contain a £50m release clause which can be activated in the summer.
Plenty of top European sides have been linked with the 29-year-old in recent months and it now seems more than likely that he will leave at the end of the campaign.
According to AS, the dynamic playmaker has ‘practically decided to leave’ this summer and is attracting interest from both Barcelona and PSG.
The report states that Silva has ‘family in Barcelona’ which could sway his decision to join the La Liga giants ahead of next season.
However, PSG have also been tipped to rekindle their interest in the Man City star and look set to battle for his signature in the upcoming transfer window.
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It’s also mentioned that Silva’s agent, Jorge Mendes, may hold the ‘key’ for his future. Given Mendes has an ‘excellent relationship’ with Deco and Joan Laporta, Barcelona look like the front runners to land a deal.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Silva wanted to leave England due to the ‘weather’ among various other reasons.
“For me, losing Bernardo Silva would be a huge blow,” Pete O’Rourke told the Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast.
“It’s been talked about for years and years that he could leave and the player is supposedly not happy with the weather in England.
He maybe fancies moving abroad for a better style of living. There will be no shortage of takers for Silva. But for me, he is one of the key players in the squad.”
Guardiola won’t want to see a player like Silva leave, but given the release clause which is now present in Silva’s contract, he might not have much of a say on the matter.
When asked if Silva is one of the best players in the Premier League or Europe, Guardiola told BBC Sport: “In the world. I said that many times.”
Capable of playing through the middle or on the wing, Man City would be hard-pressed to find a replacement for Silva at a reasonable price.
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