A Manchester City star who is rumoured to want to go to Barcelona has now reportedly given the Spanish giants a deadline by when to complete the transfer.
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According to Sport, Bernardo Silva wants to sign for the Blaugrana for both sporting and non-sporting reasons.
The Portuguese midfielder wants to continue his career with the Catalan giants, with manager Xavi Hernandez said to want to make him the focal point of his sporting project.
It is further claimed the Lisbon native's family frequent Catalonia on a regular basis.
The five-time European champions tried to lure Silva to the Camp Nou at the beginning of the season, but due to the club’s ongoing financial constraints, they were unable to complete a transfer for him.
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So, the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League winner decided to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium, and it is believed a €58 million (R1.1 billion) release clause was inserted into his new deal, with the sole reason being to give Barca an achievable transfer fee.
The same report, however, also claims that the Portugal international is not willing to wait until deadline day in order to make the move a reality.
It is said the diminutive attacker wants the issue of his mooted move to last season's LALIGA champions to be resolved before the end of the looming UEFA European Championships.
The international tournament ends on 14 July 2024, and Silva reportedly hopes to be a Barca player by then.
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There are some within the Blaugrana hierarchy who are said to believe they could use the €58 million in other areas of the pitch, but Xavi, who recently confirmed he is staying at the club next season, views the former Benfica man as the missing piece to his puzzle.
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