In a recent report from Manchester Evening News, it was mentioned that Manchester City playmaker Bernardo Silva will not be moving in the January transfer window as Barcelona will have to wait until next summer to make a move.
It is understood that the Portuguese midfield ace was heavily linked to the Spanish giants last summer but Xavi has resigned from any hopes of signing him mid-season as it would be profoundly difficult in doing so. However, the Barca chiefs are in full support of acquiring him next summer and a huge offer could be in play.
Silva’s Impressive Campaign For Manchester City
Silva has had a brilliant start to this campaign as a key member of Guardiola’s starting XI. He has appeared in over 20 matches for the Mancunian giants this season, scoring two goals and creating five assists across all competitions.
The Portuguese sensation has been in great form and is performing consistently for Man City on the attacking end of the field after averaging 1.0 shots, 1.4 key passes, 1.6 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and 1.1 dribbles per game in Premier League football. He has even been impressive with his ball distribution, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 89.9% in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Should Guardiola Look For Reinforcements?
Silva has a strong presence on the attacking end of the pitch as he remains extremely dangerous on the ball. He excels at getting past defenders with his agility and excellent ball control. To add to that, he can also create some clear-cut goal-scoring chances in the attacking third finding his teammates with his impressive vision. Furthermore, he does well to win the ball from the opposition and has a high defensive work rate.
The Portugal international primarily plays in the central positions but remains versatile enough to feature anywhere over the frontline. He has been a key player in the attacking department for Guardiola and with Haaland at strike, the midfield ace would provide a lot of support coming onto the pitch. Hence, replacing Silva would be a difficult task for the Spanish tactician as no one would be able to fill in his shoes considering the effort he has put in over the past couple of years.
However, should he decide to make an exit from the Etihad Stadium next summer Guardiola will have to bring in decent reinforcements and for that he should already be scouting players to replace Silva since the World Cup in Qatar could be a promising event to highlight immediate prospects.
