Manchester City ‘deny they have offered Bernardo Silva to Barcelona’

Manchester City have denied that they have offered Barcelona the chance to sign their star midfielder Bernardo Silva.

Silva was one of City’s stand-out players last season but has been continually linked with a move away from the Etihad, with Barcelona an admirers of the midfielder.

Despite Pep Guardiola reiterating that the Citizens wish to keep hold of the former SL Benfica and AS Monaco midfielder, the speculations refuse to go away.

A swap deal involving Neymar joining City and Silva heading to Paris was shot down by all parties, but rumours are persisting that the former Monaco man could be departing the Etihad Stadium.

A recent report claimed that Man City had been in touch with the Catalan side to signal that they would be prepared to accept an offer in the region of £67m for the playmaker.

However, the Premier League champions have again denied such claims, suggesting the former Benfica youngster remains a key part of Pep Guardiola’s plans for the 2021/22 season.

According to a report by Daily Mail, Manchester City did not offer Barcelona the chance to sign Bernardo Silva in a deal worth £67 million in the summer transfer window, club sources have confirmed.

Pep Guardiola is unwilling to sell Silva this summer, having already allowed Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to leave the club.

The 27-year-old attacker, who still has three years left to run on his contract in Manchester, played the full 90 minutes of Man City’s 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Community Shield on Saturday afternoon.