‘Was a serious option’: Fabrizio Romano says Man City targeted West ham ace as Bernardo Silva Replacement

It has been revealed Manchester City had earmarked West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta as a replacement for Bernardo Silva had he of joined Barcelona.

The Portuguese midfielder was strongly linked with a move to Camp Nou throughout the transfer window, but City managed to keep hold of the former AS Monaco man despite strong interest from Barca.

He could’ve headed to La Liga this summer, and if he’d gone to Barcelona, the Premier League champions did have a plan in place for if Silva departed.

Speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, Fabrizio Romano has been discussing Manchester City and their plans this summer if Bernardo Silva had been sold to Barcelona.

According to the Italian Journalist, Manchester City had ex-Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta earmarked to replace Bernardo Silva if the Portuguese midfielder joined Barcelona this summer.

“Paul Pogba was one of the options when he was still a free agent, but Pogba decided not to continue in England. The main option for Man City in case of the Bernardo deal with Barcelona was Lucas Paqueta,” Romano said.

Barcelona were waiting for Frenkie De Jong to leave the club to make a solid approach for Bernardo Silva, and Manchester City had Lucas Paqueta – who joined West Ham United this summer – picked out as a replacement in case that ever came to fruition.

As per the Journalist, there were some discussions with the player, as he was the main target if Bernardo did leave the club in the end. Nothing was ever advanced, as the priority above all else for Manchester City was to keep Bernardo Silva.

“He was really appreciated by Pep Guardiola, really appreciated by the board. They had some discussions with the agents, but it was never advanced because City were more than happy to keep Bernardo Silva. Paqueta was a serious option.” he added.