Man City pile pressure on Bernardo as he stalls on signing new contract

21 July 2023 , 20:57

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Bernardo Silva is yet to sign a new Manchester City contract (Image: Getty Images)

Manchester City are pressing Bernardo Silva for an answer on their new contract offer.

Silva, 28, has been offered a two-year extension on a contract that still has two seasons left to run, as well as a hefty pay-rise that would take his earnings to £300,000-a-week, as the Premier League champions look to bring an end to the constant speculation surrounding his future.

Barcelona are courting the Portuguese midfielder for the third successive summer, while Paris St Germain are also big admirers and Saudi club Al Hilal are ready to pay him £500,000-a-week. But Pep Guardiola values Silva so much that he has slapped a £70 million valuation on him - and so far no club has been willing to meet City’s asking price.

Now the Blues have seized the initiative by offering him a new deal that illustrates just how much they want to keep him at the Etihad.

City have lost captain Ilkay Gundogan and winger Riyad Mahrez. The futures of Bayern Munich target Kyle Walker and Aymeric Laporte remain in doubt, while there is no way back for Joao Cancelo following his fall-out with Guardiola when he lost his place in the team last season.

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Their only signing so far has been Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic. The Blues also want RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol to replace Laporte.

But they will have to plunge back into the transfer market if Silva and Walker depart. Guardiola has again been delighted by Silva’s attitude in pre-season - and Friday the midfielder joined in a karaoke session with team-mates after the squad arrived in Japan to kick-off a three-game pre-season tour of the Far East.

Bernardo Silva has been linked with a move away from Manchester City this summer (Getty Images)

It was reported on Thursday that City are looking at a potential move for Barcelona's Raphinha. Pep Guardiola is understood to admire Raphinha and City are weighing up a move, with Barca needing to raise funds before they can register their new signings. Mahrez is joining Saudi side Al-Ahli after City accepted a £30m bid for the winger.

Mahrez was left out of City's travelling squad for their pre-season tour of the Far East after the two clubs agreed the fee. The 32-year-old winger, who joined City from Leicester in 2018 for £60m, was given permission to miss the tour after City received a fresh bid that met their valuation.

Raphinha joined Barcelona in a £55m move from Leeds last summer and has 10 goals and 12 assists in 50 appearances for the club. But Barca may be forced into selling with their well-publicised financial problems still affecting Xavi Hernandez’s transfer plans.

Simon Mullock