Manchester City have rejected a bid of £59m from Paris Saint-Germain for Bernardo Silva.
Silva is open to an exit from Manchester City this summer and has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona, though PSG have emerged as rivals for the signature of the unsettled midfielder.
The 28-year-old has been an integral figure to City’s success in recent seasons and has won four Premier League titles at the Etihad, but is keen to leave in search of a new challenge and in order to be closer to his family in Portugal.
The Times are reporting that City have turned down a bid of €70m (£59m) from PSG for Silva. The view from Paris is that City’s stance is due to concerns that Silva’s signing could turn PSG into a stronger rival for Champions League success this season.
Silva is understood to have agreed personal terms with PSG, on a deal equal to his current salary at City in a move which underlines his decision to leave is for sporting and personal reasons. He requested to leave City in last summer’s window, but remained to play a key part in the club’s Premier League title success in 2021/22. Silva is reported to have turned down an improved deal last season, given his desire for a new challenge.
Barcelona have had a long-standing interest in the midfielder, but the concerning financial situation at the Spanish side and their inability of offload high-earning players has made matching PSG’s offer difficult.
Pep Guardiola discussed Silva’s situation following City’s 3-3 friendly draw with Barcelona in midweek, admitting he was unsure what will happen before the deadline on September 1.
“We want him to stay,” Guardiola said. “The club wants him to stay. But unless an offer arrives – something that so far hasn’t happened during the past two years – the player will stay with us.
“He is under contract. If an offer arrives and the player wants to leave, then I don’t know what will happen. We are seven or eight days before the end of the transfer market. If Silva leaves we have to look for a last-minute replacement. It wouldn’t be easy. Having said that, he likes Barcelona a lot.”
