Barcelona have been rocked by Lionel Messi’s decision to join Inter Miami – due to this, the Catalonian giants will instead pursue a move for Manchester City superstar Bernardo Silva [via SPORT].

Should Barcelona wish to bring Silva to the club, they will reportedly be required to pay a fee of no less than £68 million. Due to this, they may seek to pursue a cheaper option – their financial muscles are not what they used to be.

Barcelona are not the only ones who are believed to be interested in the 28-year-old – PSG have also reportedly registered an interest in the player, though no official talks have taken place as of yet.

How would the loss of Bernardo Silva affect Manchester City?

Bernardo Silva is perhaps one of the most underrated players in Manchester City’s squad – therefore, he is also arguably one of the most underrated footballers in the world.

This season, Silva has scored seven goals and registered eight assists in 53 appearances across all competitions. He has often been used as a utility option in the current campaign – Pep Guardiola has played him in central midfield, on the wings and even as an inverted wing-back.

Silva is a consummate professional. Not only does he happily fulfil these roles when called upon to do so, he also regularly excels in them.

Bernardo Silva career summary

Bernardo Silva’s youth career began in 2002, when he joined Benfica’s academy at the age of eight. After eleven years in Os Encarnados’ youth setup, he made his Benfica B debut in 2013.

Later in the year, he made his first appearance in senior football – he was part of the Benfica squad that won a domestic treble in 2014.

A loan move to Monaco resulted in a permanent transfer in 2015, in a fee that amounted to around £13.5 million. He went on to score 22 goals in 86 appearances for ASM, before joining Manchester City in 2017.