Barcelona are hot on the trail of Bernardo Silva and will try to tempt him the Manchester City man by reportedly making him a key man next season.
The Telegraph report that “Barca have made him one of their summer targets and will make an offer including players in a swap deal”.
Bernardo only started 23 Premier League games last term and Phil Foden’s start ahead of him against Real Madrid could be a sign of things to come next term.
England starlet Foden played as the ‘false 9’ in the win over Real with Sergio Aguero missing through injury.
“This season, maybe it was my fault or maybe Phil was more involved and Riyad maintained his level and the other players played good too,” Guardiola recently said of Bernardo.
And Barca will test whether Bernardo, 25, is willing to move on after three seasons in England.
Barca’s offer though will not be straight cash and they will try and reduce the price with a player swap deal. Right-back Nelson Semedo has been linked with City before and he is one player Barca will look to trade.
Bernardo’s praise for Pep
Bernardo though will need some convincing because it’s well documented the respect he has for Pep Guardiola.
“(His influence is) Huge. It is not just me but on the whole team.
“Personally, I have learned a lot not only from him, but all my team-mates, since I arrived at Manchester City.
“He is one of the best managers ever; it is great to have him with us,” he said recently.
However, if it transpires that Guardiola does have Foden ahead of the Portuguese player in the pecking order for next season then he could explore options elsewhere.
Barcelona would then be willing to work on a deal “believing a player of his quality rarely comes on the market”.
READ MORE: Bernardo drops transfer hint
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