PSG have swooped in late for Ousmane Dembele, and everything suggests the Barcelona attacker will soon move to the French capital.
Shortly after speculations over Dembele’s future exploded, it was suggested that Barça may finally go after Bernardo Silva, one of their dream targets in the market.
Bernardo Silva pursuit: A big boost for Barcelona
Barcelona have received a major boost in their bid to sign Bernardo Silva. According to The Telegraph, it appears PSG have backed out of the race to sign the Man City star.
The French champions were touted as the frontrunner to sign Silva due to their finances.
But the team has withdrawn from the pursuit, giving Barcelona the license to go all out after the Portuguese international.
The Catalans have remained keen on signing Silva for a long-time, with Xavi identifying him as the ideal man to reinforce the team’s ranks in the interior midfield position.
Silva himself has hinted at his desire to leave Etihad and embrace a new adventure elsewhere, and it has been reported that the 28-year-old dreams of a move to Barcelona.
Do Barça’s finances add up?
Barcelona have failed to sign Silva multiple times in the past due to their poor finances. What’s different this summer?
For starters, the club are expecting a revenue boost from the sale of Dembele. If they can earn a big fee for the Frenchman, the club would be in a position to go after the Portuguese international.
Reports suggest Barça could end up earning €40-50 million from Dembele’s sale to PSG, which could free up €25 million in terms of the Financial Fair Play margins.
However, the biggest obstacle for Barcelona will be Manchester City.
The reigning English champions have remained steadfast in their bid to keep hold of Silva and are likely to hold out for a hefty price tag of around €80 million, thus making life difficult for Barcelona.
The coming days could be crucial as Barcelona look to engineer their way into signing the former AS Monaco starlet this summer.
