Pep Guardiola has lost some key players this summer - is he about to lose another?
(Image credit: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images))
Manchester City are on the verge of signing Jeremy Doku, adding to their transfers of Matteo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol earlier in the window, but one of their current players has made a decision on their future at the club.
Three Manchester City players have just one year remaining on their current deals, with Kyle Walker, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Scott Carson all able to leave the club for free next summer if they fail to agree terms on a new contract.
Bernardo Silva is another player in the squad assembled by Pep Guardiola who has consistently postured for a move away however, amid interest from Barcelona. The Portuguese still has two years remaining on his deal, but has previously highlighted his desire to join the La Liga giants.
Bernardo Silva has been the subject of speculation linking him with Barcelona (Image credit: Getty Images)
However, according to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Bernardo Silva has chosen to stay at Manchester City, verbally agreeing to extend his contract.
The report suggests that Guardiola played an important role in the decision, despite previously promising the 29-year-old that he could leave if Barca offered the right price. Transfermarkt values Silva at around £70m, though, a hefty price tag for a club with financial fair play considerations, too.
Indeed, Barca would have had to sell to bring in Silva, and while the report suggests Xavi was especially keen to add him to the squad, a number of players would had to have left to make room.
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While PSG were also interested in signing Silva, it seemed Barcelona seemed the only club he wanted to leave the treble winners for. That's changed now, though, with Guardiola convincing Silva of his status within the team, especially following the three-to-four-month injury Kevin De Bruyne suffered at the beginning of the season.
Silva's new contract at Manchester City will see him add another year to his deal, meaning he will stay at the club until the summer of 2026.
Guardiola reportedly convinced Silva to stay (Image credit: Getty Images)
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
