Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has insisted that Bernardo Silva will still be a Manchester City player next season despite interest from Barcelona.
The Lowdown: Silva agent gets green light
Despite still having three years remaining on his current deal with the Premier League champions, the midfielder has been linked with a move away from the Etihad in recent weeks as a result of interest coming from Barcelona.
Spanish outlet Sport reported just last week that the 27-year-old has given his agent the green light to begin engineering a move to Camp Nou, with the outlet stating that the La Liga giants will have to pay a fee in the region of £86m for his services.
The Latest: Campbell’s thoughts
Asked by Football Insider whether he thought Silva would leave Man City this summer, Campbell said:
“Bernardo Silva wanted to leave last season but it couldn’t get done.
“He stayed and had a fantastic season.
“I just think there has to be a turnover of players at some stage at Man City. I think they have been recruiting pretty well.
“Would they like to keep Bernardo Silva for one more season? I’m sure. Given Barcelona’s financial situation, Man City will fancy their chances of holding onto him for another season.
“They still haven’t sorted Raphinha out, [Robert] Lewandowski… There is all sorts. They want all of these players. How are they going to pay for them? It is going to be interesting to see.
“I think Bernardo Silva will stay at City for another season.”
The Verdict: Partnership with Haaland
Since joining City from Monaco in 2017, Silva has had an immense impact in the English top-flight and is an integral member of Pep Guardiola’s starting XI, which is why the club need to do everything they can to keep him.
The Portuguese, who was once dubbed a ‘perfect’ player by former Sky Blues star Owen Hargreaves, has recorded 98 goal contributions in 249 appearances during his five-year spell, as per Transfermarkt.
The 70-cap Portugal international has proven to be an essential cog in Guardiola’s midfield and can provide fantastic service to his attackers, so with the addition of Erling Haaland up top, the duo now have the opportunity to strike up an exciting partnership ahead of the start of the new season in what is a marquee City squad.