A report that was received exclusively by Football Transfers states that Manchester City of the Premier League are apparently considering the possibility of a trade with Barcelona that would involve Bernardo Silva and Frenkie de Jong.
According to the aforementioned news source, Manchester City wants to take advantage of Barcelona’s pursuit of Bernardo Silva, whom they value at roughly €80 million, by demanding that Barcelona give them Frenkie de Jong in return. Bernardo Silva’s transfer to Barcelona would be valued at approximately €80 million by Manchester City.
City is aware that Barcelona is actively seeking to enhance their team for the upcoming season, and they are also aware that in order for them to compete with Barcelona, they will need to dramatically lower the amount of money that they spend on their players’ wages.
They are well aware of the fact that De Jong consumes a sizeable portion of the club’s payroll, and they have every intention of capitalizing on this particular fact. They also have every goal of using this knowledge to their advantage.
Now, it is not a secret that Barcelona has recognized Bernardo Silva as someone who may revitalize the squad. This is something that has been public knowledge for some time. Nevertheless, if the Portuguese player does decide to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, City’s midfield would have a significant void to fill once the departure takes place.
This is another reason why City are likely to offer a trade, but it would be interesting to watch how Barcelona reacts to that because De Jong is a crucial member of Xavi’s blueprint for the upcoming season.
Aside from that, there are a number of other aspects that will be taken into consideration, including, to name just a few examples, the financial state of the team, the preferences of the players, and the observance of the regulations governing Financial Fair Play. Only once everything has been figured out and plans have been finalized will it be possible to relocate.
As for Silva, we have previously reported that the player is more than prepared to come to Barcelona, but he is only waiting for the Catalan squad to come up with an offer for him to sign with them. Currently, Silva is just waiting for Barcelona to make him an offer.
It is interesting to note that Jorge Mendes recently met with a few delegates from Barcelona in order to discuss the current moves in the market, and it is thought that Silva’s name was brought up during that meeting.
As of today, only Barcelona’s interest was apparent; however, City’s intention to get De Jong in return might transform the entire complexion of the transaction, considering that the Dutchman is regarded as an untouchable by the La Liga winners.