Monaco star Bernardo Silva having Man City medical
Monaco playmaker Bernardo Silva is undergoing a medical ahead of a move to Manchester City.
City are set to win the race for the Portugal international ahead of neighbours Manchester United, who were also interested in the £50million-rated 22-year-old.
The player flew into Manchester Airport on Thursday night and is is understood negotiations are at an advanced stage with City.
Man Utd had been linked with the 22-year-old, but Pep Guardiola has moved quickly to agree a deal with Monaco and Silva.
City have a wealth of attacking midfield options, such as Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan, but Guardiola spoke last month of his desire to strengthen his ranks.
“The big qualities in the big, big clubs is when you are close to the box of the opponent, the players don’t lose the ball,” he said.
“Big teams don’t lose the ball.”
Silva has spent three seasons at Monaco after joining from Benfica in 2014. The Portugal international has scored 28 goals in 144 appearances for the Ligue 1 champions.
His arrival would signal the start of Guardiola’s overhaul of a squad which finished a disappointing third in the Premier League in his first season in charge.
On Thursday the club announced the departures of goalkeeper Willy Cabellero, full-backs Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna – in addition to the previously-known departure of Pablo Zabaleta – and winger Jesus Navas as the clear-out of players signed by previous managers began.
Midfielder Yaya Toure is also out of contract this summer and, despite fighting his way back into the reckoning having initially been frozen out by Guardiola, his future remains in the balance.
The Ivory Coast international would have to accept a pay cut to stay on with a short-term deal, although the suggestion from the 34-year-old’s advisers is that the financial side would not be a problem.
It means Guardiola is likely to be looking for at least five new signings this summer as he seeks to close the 15-point gap to champions Chelsea.
