Ousmane Dembélé was pictured training with the FC Barcelona squad as late as Sunday, but it seems the club’s hierarchy is already gearing up to utilize the transfer fee they will receive from Paris Saint-Germain for his services.
The Ligue 1 giants have reportedly already informed Barca of their intention to trigger a €50m release clause in the Frenchman’s contract and Dembélé has also communicated his desire to look for pastures anew.
Xavi Hernández admitted he’s hurt by the former Borussia Dortmund‘s man decision. However, the Blaugrana have started working on bringing in a new marquee player to strengthen their manager’s squad.
Barcelona submit £50m bid for Bernardo Silva
Irrespective of how Xavi feels about Dembélé’s exit, he’d be certainly delighted if he ends up with Bernardo Silva, who has been on his radar since last summer. And it’s being reported that the La Liga giants have made their first concrete move of this summer’s transfer window.
According to Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have presented their first offer: a one-year loan with a mandatory purchase clause of £50 million.
But the Champions League-winning club remain adamant about not losing their key midfielder, having already failed in their attempts to convince İlkay Gündoğan to extend his stay in Manchester. The German midfielder instead decided to move to sunny Catalonia.
City’s message to Barca, or any other suitor for that matter, is that “Bernardo Silva” is not for sale. He’s considered a fundamental part of Pep Guardiola’s squad, and was handed full 90 minutes in the Community Shield defeat against Arsenal. Last season, the Portugal international featured in 55 games across all competitions for the Treble winners.
However, Barcelona have still not lost hope despite the Premier League side’s stance, chiefly because of Silva’s desire to wear the iconic Blaugrana colours.