Man City ‘would not stand in the way’ if £80m transfer offer is received for first-team star

Manchester City would not stand in Bernardo Silva’s way if he wants to join Barcelona next summer and a sufficient offer is received, according to reports.

The midfielder was strongly linked with a move to the Catalan club in the previous transfer window, with Guardiola indicating at one stage that he wasn’t sure if Silva would remain at the club.

The Portugal international did ultimately stay at the Etihad, but the Daily Mail report that City are keen to establish whether Silva will again look to leave the club at the end of the season.

They add the Premier League champions plan to speak to the 28-year-old to ‘thrash out his future’.

Contract talks are ‘expected to take place over the coming months’ and an offer of more than £80m from Barcelona would be enough to secure Silva’s services next summer.

The City No.20’s current deal will have two years left by the end of the summer while the club are wary of the midfield situation with Ilkay Gundogan’s contract currently set to expire in June 2023.

City also have Rodri, Kalvin Phillips and Kevin De Bruyne to play in the middle, and addressing the shortages in this area could be the priority for next summer’s transfer strategy.

The Blues have been linked with a move for Jude Bellingham, although the Borussia Dortmund star is also reportedly being monitored by Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Other than Gungodan, the only other member of the current first-team squad whose contract expires at the end of the season is Scott Carson.