Barcelona reach agreement in principle to sign Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva

Report: Barcelona and Silva reach agreement in principle

According to Barca Universal, Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle to sign Silva as a free agent this summer, with the deal already around 80% complete.

It is worth noting that a deal is not complete at present and crucial details have to be sorted for a transfer to materialise for Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, who has given his go-ahead for the acquisition if outgoings make way for the Manchester City captain.

Barcelona are understood to be prioritising the signing of Silva ahead of other transfer plans this summer and the playmaker’s agent Jorge Mendes is working to take his client to western Europe before the FIFA World Cup kicks off across the Atlantic.

What is the wider context for Silva’s Barcelona move?

A move to Barcelona has been Silva’s long-stated ambition for several years, with the Portuguese having held a long-standing desire to return closer to his homeland in the latter stages of his career.

Juventus had also made formal contact with Mendes over a potential move for Silva, while Paris Saint-Germain have also been monitoring the Lisbon-born star’s situation.

Turkish giants join transfer race to sign Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva

Silva’s willingness to absorb a significant wage reduction to join Barcelona, however, makes clear that no rival offer – however lucrative – is likely to alter the destination he has been working towards for the better part of three years.

For City, the only remaining question is how his departure will be felt on the pitch in the seasons ahead. Guardiola’s answer, delivered after the Arsenal win, was unambiguous – in capital letters.