Barcelona will be unable to sign priority midfield this summer

Barcelona have found themselves highly occupied by the transfer negotiations over the sale of star strikers such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Memphis Depay.

The Catalans are looking to sanction the exit of these two forwards in a desperate attempt to generate enough time that will help them register Jules Kounde by the end of the month.

It is an indicator of Barça’s poor financial health that has effectively ruled them out of the chase for other star players in the transfer market. And according to Guillem Balague, one of them is Bernardo Silva.

The respected BBC journalist suggests Barcelona are not in a position to sign the influential playmaker anymore, as Manchester City do not want to offload the player.

The Premier League giants consider Silva a key part of their setup, despite the presence of other creative stars such as Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. For the most part, though, Man City believe it is too late for them to offload Silva, knowing they would have very little time to find a replacement.

Balague adds that Barcelona never truly had any concrete talks with Manchester City over the signing of Bernardo Silva. The playmaker’s high valuation simply exceeds the club’s financial structure, and as such, Silva will not be joining the Catalans in this summer transfer window.

Missing out on the Portuguese international could be a massive blow for Barcelona, who were looking to upgrade their ranks in the creative department. But it is a revelation that does not surprise many as the playmaker was widely considered one of the best in Europe.

Barcelona, though, will not give up on Silva anytime soon and it will not come as a surprise to see them pursue the former AS Monaco starlet during the winter transfer window.