Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are reportedly set to lock horns in pursuit of 26-year-old Portuguese playmaker Bernardo Silva this summer.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are the clubs that are keen on signing Bernardo Silva before the summer transfer window slams shut. The 26-year-old Portuguese playmaker is set to leave Manchester City following the arrival of Jack Grealish.
Bernardo Silva joined Manchester City from AS Monaco in the summer of 2017 in the wake of a shock Ligue 1 title triumph for the principality club. The switch to the Etihad has worked out well for the Portuguese international, although the player has been a rotation option for the last couple of seasons.
To date, the 26-year-old has made 201 appearances for Manchester City, chipping in with 35 goals and 44 assists in the process. However, Silva is facing an uncertain future at the Premier League club, owing to his role in the first-team setup. And there is no shortage of interest in him, with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid hot on his trails.
Barcelona have been in pursuit of Silva for a couple of months now, with midfield reinforcement a priority for them this summer. That is because Miralem Pjanic has been deemed to be surplus to requirements at Camp Nou while Ilaix Moriba is at odds with the Blaugrana over the terms of a new deal and could be on his way out of the club this summer.
Therefore, Silva is a viable target for Barcelona, who have been linked with a bevy of midfielders this summer already. As for Atletico Madrid, their interest in the 26-year-old is interesting, even though they have been heavily linked with him for months.
Indeed, following the arrival of Rodrigo De Paul, Atletico Madrid have not really appeared to be in need of signing another midfielder. However, it looks like the reigning La Liga champions could make a move for Silva following the departure of Saul Niguez, who has coincidentally been linked with Barcelona.
As for the Portuguese playmaker, his times at Manchester City is fast approaching its end following the arrival of Jack Grealish this week. What now remains to be seen is if Barcelona can land Silva this summer or if he chooses to join Atletico Madrid instead. For now, he is open to make his way to either La Liga club.