Barcelona continues to pursue Manchester City’s star player, Bernardo Silva, despite their financial limitations posing significant challenges.
The Catalan giants have recently made successful signings, such as Ilkay Gundogan, Inigo Martinez, Vitor Roque, and Oriol Romeu, on financially viable terms.
However, their pursuit of Bernardo Silva remains a pipe dream due to the player’s contractual obligations with Manchester City and his high market worth of €80 million.
Last summer, there were hopes of signing Bernardo Silva as the player expressed his fondness for Barcelona, and coach Xavi admired his skills. The club attempted to sell Frenkie de Jong to fund the move, but it didn’t materialize.
Now, Barcelona’s financial situation is further complicated by their need to make significant sales to cut down on their wage bill and comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
Bernardo Silva has expressed his preference for Barcelona as his next club and is willing to reject other offers, including one from Paris Saint-Germain, to wait for a potential move to the Spanish champions.
However, City’s acceptance of an offer from Barcelona might depend on the transfer fee offered considering the club’s financial constraints.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has publicly expressed his desire to sign Bernardo Silva. However, given the club’s fragile financial state, it is uncertain whether they can afford his reported £75 million transfer fee. While Laporta acknowledges his interest, securing the transfer would require considerable financial maneuvering.
Manchester City has reportedly shown interest in The Brazilian winger as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez who is set to leave on a £30 million deal with Al-Ahli.
To finance the potential signing of Bernardo Silva, Barcelona could explore a swap deal involving Raphinha who had an impressive season, scoring 10 goals and providing 12 assists in his first La Liga season.
If a deal can be agreed upon, it could benefit both clubs as Bernardo Silva’s versatility and treble-winning season make him a valuable addition to Barcelona’s squad, while Raphinha’s sale could help alleviate the club’s financial situation.
In the end, securing Bernardo Silva’s transfer to Barcelona remains uncertain, given their financial limitations. While the player’s desire to join the Catalan giants and the club’s interest in him are evident, finding a suitable arrangement to appease both parties is a challenging task.