Man City kingpin responds to Barcelona and Saudi Pro League links and leaves Pep Guardiola in a good mood.
Bernardo Silva has responded to ongoing rumours that he could leave Manchester City and join Barcelona or even move to Saudi Pro League side Al Sadd in the near future. The Spaniard only signed a new contract at the Etihad in the summer, but speculation continues to swirl that he could leave the club and look for a new challenge if one opens up.
We all know that the Portuguese international was targeted by Saudi clubs in the summer, and Paris Saint-Germain have also asked about him in the past.
Despite this, Barcelona remain the most likely destination for Silva, should he decide to end his near-seven-year stay at the Etihad Stadium.
Barcelona boss Xavi is a big admirer of Silva and is eager to bring him to the club. But the financially-challenged LaLiga side have had difficulty putting together a suitable package to make a move.
Silva continues to play a key role for Guardiola’s side, but insists his main focus is on helping the club win more silverware.
Speaking before City’s semi-final second-round clash with Red Diamonds in Jeddah on Tuesday, Silva said: “I wasn’t talking about Barcelona at the beginning of the press conference. I was talking about how important it is for us to win the Club World Cup.”
He added: “My main focus is on City and winning the fifth trophy of the season in 2023.”
I won’t answer the first question, that’s not the point, my main focus is on Man City and winning this very important competition.
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Silva downplays talk of Saudi move
The Saudi Pro League has been heavily linked to Silva after their record-breaking spending spree in the summer
If City survives its match against Red Diamonds, it will meet Fluminense on Friday in the final after Fluminense defeated Al Ahly 2-0 in the second semi.
