Andrés Iniesta is leaving, but Deco could pay him the best tribute in a few weeks. FC Barcelona continues to pursue one of its most ambitious dreams: signing Bernardo Silva. The talented Manchester City midfielder is seen as a player who could fill the void left by Andrés Iniesta. Of course, there would be one important difference: Bernardo Silva scores more often.
With a contract with the English team lasting until 2026, the Portuguese player is the ideal reinforcement that the Catalan club has been looking for. He would be, therefore, a perfect tribute to the Barça legend and a luxury complement to Hansi Flick's play style.
Bernardo Silva's name has been ringing around the offices of Camp Nou for some time now. The player has shown his admiration for Barcelona on several occasions and hasn't hidden his desire to join the blaugrana team. There have already been approaches from the club towards the player. In fact, it has been confirmed that Deco, current Barça sporting director and Bernardo's compatriot, is exploring all options to make this signing possible.
Andrés Iniesta: the Best Tribute
Bernardo Silva's style of play makes him the perfect heir to Iniesta. Like the man from La Mancha, the City midfielder is capable of controlling the tempo of the game, handling the ball with impressive skill and finding gaps where other players don't see them.
However, Silva also has an advantage over Iniesta: his goalscoring ability. With a more offensive profile, Bernardo has proven to be decisive in attack, something that would be very valuable for a young and hungry Barça.
An even bigger dream for Barça is to pair Bernardo Silva with two of their stars in midfield: Pedri and Dani Olmo. The combination of these three players would be a dream for any team. Both Pedri and Olmo represent the future of Spanish soccer. For Barça, getting Pedri, Olmo and Bernardo Silva together would be a firm step towards rebuilding the team.
Negotiations will not be easy, but there are several options on the table. As he is in the last year of his contract, Barcelona could try to close the deal for a figure close to 45 million euros. Another possibility that has been considered is the inclusion of Frenkie de Jong in the operation, a player highly valued by Manchester City.
What is certain is that the interest is mutual. Bernardo Silva is dying to play at the Camp Nou, a dream he's made clear on several occasions. As for Barcelona, it sees in him a unique opportunity to strengthen its midfield with a world-class player.
And that would fit perfectly into Hansi Flick's project. Talks are still ongoing, and everything points to Barça doing everything possible to unite Pedri, Olmo and Silva under the same banner.