Courted by FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Bernardo Silva has made his choice. And the news is not good for the French club.
The same players play again. Almost a year ago, FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain clashed in the transfer market to recruit Bernardo Silva. Led by Luis Campos, the French team had the means and the desire to recruit him, while the Catalans, who were his preferred choice, could not match financially.
In the end, neither club emerged victorious from this duel. And it was Manchester City who won out as the Portuguese player stayed and even extended his contract until June 2026 with the Sky Blues.
Bernardo Silva dreams only of Barca
A year later, the same parties are back for another round of negotiations. But this time, the Citizens are unlikely to interfere since the 29-year-old player has clearly expressed his desire to move elsewhere.
Aware of his will, the English club will not hold him back, having already set a release clause of €58 million. This amount will not be a problem for PSG, which will cash in a considerable amount with the departure of Kylian Mbappe.
However, the loss of Mbappe, who previously played with Bernardo Silva at Monaco, is bad news for the French club that wants to attract the Portuguese player.
In any case, the French champions have very little chance of convincing him. SPORT explains that FC Barcelona, still dreaming of signing him whether Xavi stays or not, is in pole position and almost alone in the race.
Indeed, the Portuguese player’s priority remains to join the Spanish league and Barca, as it was last year. His mind has not changed. He has even been reassured in his choice. The former Monaco player, whose family wants a change of scenery after several years in Manchester, has consulted Ilkay Gündogan about the club and life in Barcelona.
He has made inquiries and is ready to make sacrifices
He has done the same with other friends and his compatriots Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo, who were loaned to the Culés this season. The Catalan media adds that he has visited Barcelona several times in recent months to get a feel for the place and form an opinion.
Apparently, he was convinced and has expressed his desire to sign with Barca. Moreover, he is even willing to make significant sacrifices regarding his salary. He earns about 10 million euros per year in Manchester according to SPORT. He would accept earning less in Catalonia to facilitate his arrival.
A significant ally for the residents of Camp Nou, who will also need to complete one or more sales to finance this operation. But they are hopeful, especially since they believe the City will not be too tough during negotiations to facilitate the departure of a loyal player like Bernardo Silva.
All this does not work in favor of Paris Saint-Germain, which has been courting him for several years now. But the Portuguese has made his decision. Unless there is a turnaround or a problem on Barça’s side, he will don the Blaugrana jersey in the 2024-25 season.
