Another slap in the face for Pep Guardiola as £90m Man city superstar is set to complete Arsenal move in January – Arteta wants to sign Him because of His champions league experience
Arsenal reportedly have the opportunity to secure the services of Manchester City ace Bernardo Silva, who has been consistently linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium. Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are among the midfielders’ admirers, though a Premier League switch should not be ruled out.
The Gunners have never shied away from conducting business with their title rivals, with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko both making the switch from City to Arsenal to link up with Mikel Arteta previously. The Spanish boss is no stranger to the majority of the players in Pep Guardiola’s changing room, having worked at the club for several years as assistant manager.
Thus, the presence of a release clause in the contract of City star Silva may catch the eye of the Arsenal boss. The versatile playmaker signed a new deal at the start of the season, and the Daily Star report that a £50million buyout was added during negotiations.
Arsenal were speculatively linked with Silva previously, and it would be a surprise if they did not still hold the 29-year-old in high regard. However, before the Gunners start drawing up a plan to activate the buyout clause, it is said that the ex-Monaco star is in no rush to leave City.
Silva is keen to play out the rest of the season with City ‘at the very least’, regardless of whether a bid of £50m is tabled. Similarly, Guardiola’s side are not looking to entertain any offers for their No. 20 and any bids would be deemed as ‘pointless’.
A buyout clause was only agreed due to the continued speculation linking Silva with a move away from the club and because of how many suitors would be present if a decision to part ways was made. As such, City did not want to put themselves in a position where a cheap sale would be their only option.
Arteta’s former club Barcelona remains one of Silva’s likeliest destinations though, with the release clause providing the Catalan outfit with a concrete number to work with when organising their transfer business over the coming windows.
A return to Benfica is also viewed as a plausible option given that the player has never shied away from admitting that he would like to return to his boyhood club before he hangs up his boots. Silva made just one league appearance for the Portuguese outfit before departing, and he will be hoping to enjoy a longer spell at the club in the future.
