Barcelona has been given the green light to sign Manchester City star Bernardo Silva this summer by the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes.
The Blaugrana are also said to be close to a deal with him for highly-rated midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
Although according to a report from Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has already met with Mendes to discuss a potential move for Silva. The City winger is one of the hottest properties in Europe and has been linked with a move to the Nou Camp for some time now.
What should we know about the Barcelona plans?
Mendes is said to have given Bartomeu the go-ahead to sign Silva, valued at around £85 million by City. The report claims that Mendes has also told Bartomeu that he will be able to get a deal done for de Jong as well. The star has been one of the best midfielders in the Eredivisie this season and has influenced interest from several top clubs across Europe. Barcelona has been tracking him for some time and is said to be close to agreeing on an expected fee.
Silva’s arrival will come as a de facto replacement for Frenkie de Jong, who has been given a 10-day window when he exits this summer’s window as he seeks a deal with Manchester United and Chelsea. It comes after United boss Eric ten Haag ordered United to be patient on a deal after further talks with the player.
What does Camp Nou say about it?
Earlier this summer, Pep Guardiola admitted the Portuguese international might have a heart when he moved to the Camp Nou: “Today I think Bernardo Silva will be there. But as I’ve always said, since his time at Barca, I don’t.” I don’t want players who don’t want to be at my club. I can only say that Bernardo is important to us.”
A report by Spanish radio station Cadena Cope describes how Silva’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is now rooting for Barca in the deal. It is said that he gave his blessing to the move and that the green light could speed up the player’s search.
While United has an initial fee with the Catalan club for a transfer that would reunite De Jong with his former boss Ten Haag, Blues bosses have contacted Barca and discussed with De Jong’s representatives. And now there are strong contenders to sign him, under the nose of United.
United are believed to remain in pole position to land de Jong, but talks of a move have now entered their 13th week due to the complexities surrounding the move. The process could get a big boost as Barca move forward in their search for City ace Silva. Silva has scored 48 goals in 251 first-team appearances for City since his transfer from Monaco in 2017 and flourished under Guardiola. However, he enjoyed more prominence last season: eight Premier League goals in a career-high 33 Premier League starts and 11 in the club’s 12 Champions League games.
Barcelona other details:
However, the summer transfer window does not open for a few months, Barcelona wastes no time in getting their business done early. They have already agreed on a deal to sign Atletico Madrid defender Jordi Alba to a new four-year contract.
The report claims that the Blaugrana are also close to agreeing on a new contract with star forward Luis Suarez. Therefore, we hope this article on Barcelona giving the green signal by Mendes was informative, and stay tuned for more updates on the same.