Bernardo Silva set to stay at Manchester City as Barcelona dream grows more distant

Bernardo Silva now looks set to stay at Manchester City as his €100 million (£84m) valuation looks increasingly ambitious for Barcelona to meet. After persistent interest from Xavi and Barca, The Athletic report that Silva has changed his tune on remaining at the Etihad despite having his head turned again by the Catalan giants.

Ad Despite battling financial difficulties, Barcelona have been far from quiet in this summer transfer window, having already acquired a hefty list of world-class players, including Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha. TransfersCity sign Gomez from Anderlecht in £11m dealYESTERDAY AT 10:59 City were reluctant to let their midfield star leave, despite their unwillingness to stand in the way of any players who wish to leave the club.

Having already lost goal-threats Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling to domestic rivals Arsenal and Chelsea this window, losing Silva would have been a sucker punch. Last week, manager Pep Guardiola stated: “He [Silva] knows how much we want him to stay and how much we love him”.

The Spaniard also described him as a “special person” which only cemented the club’s stance on any possible exit route for the Portuguese. Bernardo was a second-half substitute in City’s first two games of the new campaign, coming on in the 78th minute of City’s 2-0 win over West Ham and a 65th minute substitute in last week’s 4-0 thrashing of Bournemouth.

As Silva entered the Etihad pitch to take the place of Ilkay Gundogan again last Saturday, he was met with rapturous applause and cheers from the home supporters, ensuring the view of the City fan base on his transfer speculation was heard loud and clear. The following day, Silva posted a tweet thanking the home fans for “those