According to Romano, the race to sign the highly sought-after playmaker is wide open. However, the Portugal international—available on a free transfer after nine successful years at Manchester City—is said to prefer a move to Spain.
Behind the scenes at Camp Nou, though, everything appeared to be in place: as Catalan radio station RAC1 recently reported, Barça manager Hansi Flick had already given the sporting director his explicit approval for the transfer of the 31-year-old playmaker.
Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo adds that the newly crowned La Liga champions are favourites to secure his signature, after Silva indicated he is willing to accept a substantial pay cut to move to Camp Nou.