PSG offer ‘surprising’ duo in exchange for Man City star as Pep Guardiola ‘categorically refuses’ exit
Paris Saint-Germain have made a very ‘surprising’ offer to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, according to reports in France.
The French champions have reportedly made Silva their top target and have been chasing him for the last two years.
City will probably not stand in the Portuguese playmaker’s way if he wishes to leave.
They have allowed the departures of several important first-team players in recent years with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus both joining Arsenal in 2022, for example.
It was reported before City’s Champions League final against Inter that Silva has informed his friends that he will be leaving the Premier League champions in the summer.
PSG are the favourites to sign the 28-year-old, with the club’s sporting director Luis Campos the man who brought Silva to AS Monaco in 2014.
And Campos is willing to push the boat out to land the City star, who ‘will be able to leave’ after winning the Champions League, according to Foot Mercato.
The report hints that an agreement has already been made between the French club and the player, though they need to agree a fee with the European champions.
Campos has put a ‘surprising exchance’ on the table after Silva’s agent Jorge Mendes received a contract offer from PSG amidst ‘competition’ from Barcelona, who tried to sign the ex-Monaco man last year.
PSG are boosted by the fact Silva ‘wants’ to move to the French capital.
Pep Guardiola ‘loves’ the Portugal midfielder, which does not make his exit straightforward, with City expected to ask for a very large fee.
In order to drive down the price, PSG director Campos has put two surprising names on the table.
The report claims both players, Marco Verratti and Gianluigi Donnarumma, ‘meet the needs’ of City.
This is a bold claim considering Guardiola has Ederson, who is a world-class goalkeeper and the best in Europe with the ball at his feet.
Verratti does make more sense with club captain Ilkay Gundogan expected to leave. The German midfielder is out of contract and is attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, Arsenal and Barcelona.
Both Italian players are very good, but Guardiola’s response was ‘swift’. The Spanish manager gave a ‘categorical refusal’, leaving PSG with ‘work to do’ in their pursuit of Silva.
