FC Barcelona’s decision means that Manchester City will be able to keep Bernardo Silva past the current summer transfer window.
At the height of his professional playing career, the Portugal international has long harboured dreams of moving closer to home and into surroundings that are more culturally comparable to his own country.
Because of this, the former AS Monaco player’s options have been severely restricted, excluding the possibility of a move back to Benfica or elsewhere in the Premier League, possibly even to France.
In the three summer transfer windows that Pep Guardiola has imposed his all-conquering team, Bernardo Silva has remained an important and a vital part of the system, and he has been unable to gain a move away from the Etihad Stadium.
Although it was anticipated that the summer transfer window would provide Bernardo Silva more opportunities to leave City with a lucrative release clause, one of his main choices is now very unlikely to materialise.
That is according to the information of Marca journalist Luis Rojo, who reports that Bernardo Silva will not be joining FC Barcelona this summer.
The playmaker’s £50 million release clause in his newly extended Manchester City contract is further disclosed to expire on June 30 and to be clear, the La Liga team will not activate it before then.
Even though Bernardo Silva might not leave the team in the upcoming days, weeks, or months, Manchester City is still expected to add players in the middle of the park as they focus for the future and possible backup for Rodri.
The Spanish international is relied on at both club and national level, currently playing around 70 matches per year and raising worries within the national team camp about his physical fitness in such a demanding schedule.
Bruno Guimaraes might be the man Manchester City turn to in the coming weeks, but the club appears unlikely to activate the player’s £100 million release clause at Newcastle United, which expires at the end of the month.