On June 30 of this year, in the middle of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, Bernardo Silva’s contract with Manchester City will expire, making him a free agent. That will give him the chance to negotiate freely with any club in the world, with Barcelona emerging as the leading favorites.
“Aware that his salary in Catalonia will not be even remotely comparable to what he earned at City since his last contract renewal in 2023 (around €16 million per year), Bernardo Silva is willing to do practically anything to become a Barcelona player,” Portuguese outlet A Bola reported on Friday.
Barcelona’s financial possibilities are limited compared to other options, which would force a sacrifice from the midfielder. “They have no money and have a more modest two-year contract with an option for a third, and a salary of around €8 million annually. This is practically half of what his lucrative contract with City offered him,” the report added.
That means that, instead of the potential $18 million Silva could earn by staying at Manchester City, he would make around $9 million at Barcelona. “This difference could, of course, be mitigated by a generous signing bonus,” A Bola clarified.
Hansi Flick, Head Coach of FC Barcelona.
Other options for Bernardo Silva
Although reports indicate that Bernardo Silva has a clear desire to play for Barcelona next season because of the sporting challenge it represents, there are other possible destinations if the move falls through.
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Bernardo Silva reportedly picks Barcelona despite Messi’s Inter Miami and Ronaldo’s SPL interest
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown interest in the 31-year-old midfielder, in what would mean following the path of fellow Portugal national team players Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves and Joao Felix. In that scenario, the financial power of Saudi clubs suggests they could present a more lucrative offer than Barcelona.
On the other side of the map, Inter Miami have also emerged as an option, driven by the desire to surround Lionel Messi with top-level talent. However, their current priority appears to be Casemiro, given the need to strengthen the defensive midfield position following Sergio Busquets’ retirement.
Barcelona looking to strengthen midfield
If negotiations for Bernardo Silva are completed, Barcelona would add another intriguing option to Hansi Flick’s squad. Right now, the team already has several proven midfield talents, including Pedri, Gavi, Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo, so it will be interesting to see how the coach arranges his pieces to incorporate a star like Bernardo into his tactical setup.
