Trainer Pep Guardiola hopes Bernardo Silva stays with Manchester City, but he also does not want to keep the Portuguese footballer in England against his will. The attacking midfielder flirts with FC Barcelona. “It is true that Bernardo is very charmed by Barcelona,” Guardiola said after the friendly match in Camp Nou against the Catalan club (3-3).
“Bernardo is a player that we love to keep with us because he is a great footballer and a great person in everything. But ever since I started as a coach at Barcelona, I have never wanted to keep players who don’t want to stay in my team.” , said Guardiola. The 28-year-old Portuguese has been playing for Manchester City since 2017, with which he has already won the English championship four times. Silva is under contract in Manchester for another three years.
The creative midfielder played for over an hour against Barcelona, the club he has been associated with for weeks, on Wednesday. “The transfer window is only open for seven or eight days,” Guardiola said. “If we sell him, we have to go out on the market ourselves. And I want him to stay. The clubs should first agree on a transfer fee, but we haven’t had any offers for him in the last two years.”
According to Barcelona coach Xavi, it is up to City of Silva coming to Catalonia. According to him, the English champion must then be willing to cooperate in a transfer.
The arrival of the Portuguese only seems possible if Frenkie de Jong leaves. Barcelona wants to sell the Orange international, but De Jong doesn’t feel like it himself.