Barcelona are struggling to break Manchester City’s resolve concerning Bernardo Silva’s transfer, but they’ve managed to strike a deal with SC Freiburg for their exciting midfielder, Noah Darvich.
Silva has long been on Xavi’s list of top targets, as the Portuguese midfielder has consistently shown he’s capable of making a difference from multiple areas of the pitch. His undeniable elite quality with the ball at his feet and spatial awareness in and out of possession would take the Spaniard’s project to the next level.
Barca under the young manager have struggled to create through the middle. In particular, they create very little from the right half-space, mostly relying on hopeful crosses from Raphinha or Ousmane Dembele, who’s PSG bound, to find strikers in the box. The absence of an attacking right-back also makes his side more predictable in the final third.
This might be why Xavi is so keen on Silva and also explored the opportunity to sign Arda Guler. A new right-sided creative midfielder, who’s also capable of moving out wide and swapping positions with the right-winger, could solve a number of these issues.
Have Barcelona found Bernardo Silva alternative in Noah Darvich?
The Blaugrana missed out on Arda Guler to Real Madrid, and have seen their bid for Silva rejected. However, the club’s recruitment team has secured the signing of Noah Darvich in a deal worth up to €7.5m.
The German wunderkind is far too inexperienced and unproven at the highest level to be compared with other high-profile transfer targets, but he has a similar profile. Interestingly, he’s also left-footed like both Silva and Guler. At a fixed fee of €2.5m, it’s a low-risk signing that has the potential to be a huge success in the right environment.
Darvich was involved in 14 goals in 26 appearances for Freigburg’s U17 team, and as a result of his impressive showings attracted interest from the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich. However, Barcelona moved swiftly to find an agreement with Freiburg and convince the player to sign a contract until 2026.