Barcelona to move for Premier League midfielder next summer - Report
As per Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona still want to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva. They could make an attempt to sign him in January but if not, they will certainly go for him next summer.
Silva was linked with a move to Camp Nou this summer. However, the club's issues regarding the registration of new signings meant they couldn't make an attempt to sign the Portuguese midfielder.
However, now that they've registered all their players and raised funds after offloading some players, Barcelona are reportedly ready to make an offer for Silva.
The 28-year-old joined Manchester City from AS Monaco in 2017 for around €50 million. He has been an integral part of Pep Guardiola's side ever since.
He has contributed 50 goals and 53 assists in 259 matches for the Cityzens across competitions. Silva has won four Premier League titles with Manchester City so far, among other honors.
63 - No Premier League player has completed more progressive carries than Bernardo Silva this season so far (63).
Retaining his speciality 👑 https://t.co/lgC7jeD4wp
As per the aforementioned SPORT report, the midfielder wants to join Barcelona himself. The Cityzens were willing to let him go this summer as well but a deal couldn't go through.
Silva's father, Paulo Silva, also explained why a move didn't materialize for his son to join Barcelona this summer. He told Stats Perform (via MARCA):
"There were a lot of talks, but no concrete offer was made at the times we thought were right. When he arrived, we realized that it was no longer the right time for all parties involved.
"Things have to happen rationally and it was not the ideal scenario for Bernardo. He is a mature player, he is 28 years old. Things have to be done rationally, not emotionally."
Silva has played eight matches in all competitions so far this season, registering two goals and two assists.
Xavi on fan collapsing in Barcelona's win over Cadiz
Barcelona made the trip to face Cadiz in La Liga on Saturday (September 10). While they came out 4-0 winners, a much bigger talking point of the match was a medical emergency in the stands in the final few minutes of the match.
Cadiz goalkeeper Jemermais Ledesma was seen sprinting with and throwing a defibrillator to help the medics attend a fan who had collapsed. Thankfully, the supporter was revived and taken to the hospital.
El arquero del Cadiz, Conan Ledesma corrió por un desfribilador, ya que un aficionado en el partido sufrió un ataque. 🥺
De momento el partido se encuentra pausado. https://t.co/tAOsGEC9I0
Speaking about the incident, Xavi said after the match (via Barca Blaugranes):
“It was not a nice situation for anyone. Health and people’s lives always come before anything else. Luckily they were able to revive the person and they are healthy and safe.
"We felt, both teams, that it was right to restart the game. We hope the supporter recovers quickly. If it had gone another way, we would have suspended the match."
He added:
“There was a moment when they told us there was nothing they could do, we were hearing a lot of things. In the end, it’s a humanity issue. We are talking about human life and it has to come before football. Among everyone, we tried to help and we hope they are OK.”
The match was suspended with Barcelona leading 2-0 thanks to a goal each from Frenkie de Jong and Robert Lewandowski. After the players returned to the pitch, Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele also scored to make it a 4-0 win for the visitors.
Barcelona will next face Bayern Munich away in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, September 13.