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The original was posted on /r/soccer by /u/penisgenitals on 2023-08-03 20:20:34.
Original Title: [Ferran Martínez] Operation Bernardo Silva in effect: the player is now the top priority for Barcelona. The club is looking for formulas to convince Manchester City. The player trusts he will be allowed to leave.
Barcelona are clear about it. The top priority after the departure of Ousmane Dembélé, pending official confirmation of his move to Paris Saint-Germain, is to sign Bernardo Silva (28) from Manchester City. The Portuguese midfielder is Xavi’s dream signing and, as MD has learned, the deal is already underway with the OK of president Joan Laporta, Mateu Alemany and Deco, who have already got down to work. In fact, they have put aside the other portfolios to focus on Bernardo, which will condition the rest of the market.
Sources confirm that the operation is simmering and that Barça are looking for the formula to convince Manchester City, because the player, represented by Jorge Mendes, is more than seduced. Bernardo Silva would be delighted to join Barça and is ready to push for the English club to open the door for him. It will not be easy, but both Barcelona and the Portuguese player are confident that Pep Guardiola will keep his word. The Catalan coach of City promised his player that he would let him leave as long as a powerful proposal arrived. Bernardo Silva is one of the most important players for Guardiola.
The player knows this and is very grateful to Pep, with whom he has made the leap in quality he needed to become a ‘top’ midfielder in the world. But Barcelona is a desire of Bernardo Silva that comes from afar, from when he was a child and dreamed of being like Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. He only wants to leave City to go to Barça and that is why he has rejected offers from Saudi Arabia and, this week, from PSG.
If there is money, there are options
In this sense, the City coach already knows the desire of Bernardo since the 2021/22 season, but Barça also failed to submit a formal offer last summer. Now the player’s entourage hopes that the Catalans will make a better move and enter into formal negotiations with Manchester City. They say that if there is money, there are options to dress him in the blaugrana. And the important thing here is to release ‘fair play’.
With the arrival of Bernardo Silva, Barcelona are clear that the squad would be improved despite the departure of Dembélé. They consider the Portuguese to be a much more reliable player in the big moments and with more influence on the game. He doesn’t have as much of an edge, but he provides more goals and more assists.
He won’t wait for the end
On the other hand, as much in the azulgrana club as the part of the player are conscious that this situation does not have to be lengthened very much. At Bernardo’s express request. On the one hand because he does not want a repeat of the situation of the last two summers. He asks Barça for gestures and seriousness. And it has to be soon because he doesn’t want to wait until the end of the summer.
Although he is willing to talk to Guardiola to insist on his desire to go to Barça, the Portuguese has total respect for his current club. He knows that he has to move now so that Manchester City can go to the market to find a replacement for him if he is allowed to leave. That is why Barça have also accelerated the departures to be able to focus on this complicated operation. This time they are serious and they want to prove it to Bernardo Silva.