Pep Guardiola admits he thought Bernardo Silva would leave Manchester City in 2023
Manchester City came close to losing star Bernardo Silva in the 2023/24 summer transfer window.
Barcelona are long term admirers of the Portugal international, with their interest stretching back over 12 months, despite their financial issues blocking a formal bid.
Silva is a crucial player for City, but Barcelona have publicly admitted their interest in signing him, despite Guardiola’s unwillingness to sell.
With no progress on a transfer to Catalonia, Silva was reportedly targeted by Saudi Pro League clubs over the summer, before deciding to extend his City contract until 2026.
The former AS Monaco midfielder turned in a man of the match display as City cruised to a 3-0 Premier League derby win away at Manchester United and Guardiola admitted he would have left a major hole in the team.
“We were afraid of losing Bernardo Silva in the summer! He is irreplaceable. I could spend 10 minutes talking about what Bernardo means to me and to the team. Everyone loves him here”, as per quotes from BBC Sport.
Silva’s contract extension, and enduring key role in Guardiola’s plans at City, mean Barcelona are unlikely to reignite their interest in him in 2024.
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