Barcelona head coach Xavi is reportedly pushing for his club to sign Manchester City attacker Bernardo Silva during this summer's transfer window.
Xavi had been set to leave the Catalan side at the end of the campaign, but he has now agreed to stay with the club, and he is heavily involved in the plans for the upcoming market.
Barcelona will be under pressure to make some first-team sales due to their financial issues, but they are also planning to be active, with the team looking to become a powerhouse in European football once again.
The reigning La Liga champions reached the quarter-finals of this season's Champions League, but they are set to finish behind Real Madrid in Spain's top flight this term.
According to Sport, Xavi is pushing for his club to bring in Bernardo from Man City, with the Portugal international viewed as a leading transfer target.
© Reuters
Xavi 'pushing for Barcelona to sign Bernardo Silva'
The report claims that Bernardo is 'a priority' for Barcelona, and there is believed to be a release clause of just €58m (£49.8m) in his contract for clubs outside of the Premier League.
Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have also been credited with an interest in the forward, but Barcelona are believed to be his preferred choice, as he is keen to move closer to Portugal at this stage of his career.
At the start of April, Joao Felix, who is on loan at Barcelona from Atletico Madrid, urged Xavi's side to move for Bernardo in the upcoming market.
The 29-year-old has again been a vital player for Pep Guardiola's side during the 2023-24 campaign, scoring 11 goals and registering six assists in 44 appearances in all competitions.
© Reuters
Bernardo Silva is believed to favour switch to Barcelona
Meanwhile, since arriving at the Etihad Stadium from Monaco in July 2017, the attacker has scored 66 goals and registered 62 assists in 350 appearances in all competitions.
At the start of 2023, Bernardo expressed a desire to begin "a new challenge" away from the reigning Premier League champions.
The forward could help Man City win a Premier League and FA Cup double this season before moving on despite the fact that he signed a new deal at the Etihad Stadium last August.
Xavi has refused to rule out a departure for Robert Lewandowski this summer, which would also put Barcelona in the market for a new centre-forward.
Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo are also among those being linked with big-money moves away from the Catalan team during this summer's transfer window.
