FC Barcelona has long fancied signing Bernardo Silva.
Bernardo Silva has reportedly told Manchester City that he'll leave. What now for FC Barcelona?
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has reportedly told the club he’ll leave as a free agent on June 30, 2026 according to one of the main football papers in his homeland Portugal, A Bola.
As always for an aging player of his caliber, Silva has been linked with potential moves to Saudi Arabia and the MLS, in addition to his boyhood club Benfica.
Juventus is another name being floated around in relation to the 31-year-old, however, and the Italian giant has reportedly offered him a salary of around $8-9 million.
Above all, though, Silva wants to join FC Barcelona, who he admired as a kid growing up in Lisbon while his sister-in-law has spoken well of the Catalan capital.
Remember that the playmaker was once a target of Xavi Hernandez’s in the infamous summer of the international levers back in 2022.
Rated at more than $50 million, however, the Catalans couldn’t raise the funds after already splashing out similar fees for Jules Kounde, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski.
Now it’s different. Silva could potentially join Barca for nothing in July, and this would also free up the funds to offer him a decent salary bearing in mind the club must also stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play limits.
But it makes perfect sense from a sporting perspective for Hansi Flick. At the same time, President Joan Laporta has a strong relationship with the player’s agent Jorge Mendes who he knows well from negotiations involving other Blagurana players such as Lamine Yamal.
Silva could provide back up to Lamine on the right wing if necessary, but he’d be more likely compete for the CAM ‘10’ role.
Though they’ve had their moments in 2025/2026, neither Dani Olmo nor Fermin Lopez have truly made the berth their own though Gavi is nearing fitness to also provide a challenge for it.
Given he won’t cost a penny, and Barca is also interested in pursuits for players such as Alessandro Bastoni, Silva is worth a punt on a short-term contract.
Two seasons could make sense for the Champions League winner, who’d attempt to become a serial trophy lifter in Spain as he has been in England.