Barcelona’s pursuit of Bernardo Silva has finally hit a dead end. The club’s crippling financial situation makes signing the Portuguese midfielder an impossible dream, at least for the foreseeable future.
This isn’t the first time Barca has been thwarted in their attempts to land Silva. They were previously attracted to him during his time at Benfica ten years ago, and manager Xavi heavily pushed for his signing during his two years at the helm.
Even the current coach, Flick, held onto the hope of bringing Silva to Camp Nou in the coming summer.
Why Barça can’t go after Silva
According to MARCA, Barcelona’s astronomical wage bill far exceeds La Liga’s Financial Fair Play regulations. This makes signing any new player, let alone a star of Silva’s calibre, a complete non-starter.
There was a glimmer of hope with a release clause in Silva’s contract allowing him to leave Manchester City for €60 million – a fair price in today’s market.
This clause, however, expires on June 30, leaving Barcelona with only ten days to complete the transfer and address their financial woes – a logistical impossibility.
Manchester City, with no desire to sell, wouldn’t entertain a late approach from Barcelona. They wouldn’t want to lose a key player without sufficient time to secure a proper replacement.
This is a bitter pill to swallow for Barcelona fans who have long admired Silva’s talents. He has always expressed a fondness for the club and was even reportedly willing to take a pay cut, making this missed opportunity even more painful.
For now, Barcelona must focus on resolving their financial issues before they can even contemplate big-money signings. The dream of seeing Bernardo Silva in Blaugrana colours seems to have faded away entirely.