PSG Set To Hijack FC Barcelona’s Bernardo Silva Signing

Paris Saint Germain are planning to hijack FC Barcelona’s bid to sign Bernardo Silva.

The Portuguese midfielder is now the Blaugrana’s top target in the transfer market after successful operations that have seen them land the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde in recent weeks.

Reports from Catalonia on Wednesday morning say that there is ‘optimism’ about signing Silva before the close of the window, but any deal is dependent on Frenkie de Jong leaving for City’s crosstown rivals Manchester United or, more likely now, their 2021 Champions League final opponents Chelsea.

In the French capital, PSG do not have to wait around for other deals to pull off and are, according to Le10 Sport, planning an approach for Silva which would derail Barca’s plans.

Replacing the fired Leonardo, which was apparently on the orders of Kylian Mbappe after he signed a three-year contract extension, PSG’s new sporting director Luis Campos has a very good relationship with Silva and his agent Jorge Mendes and is therefore sounding out a potential coup.

As with Mbappe, Campos knows Silva well from their days at Monaco together, with a successful run to the Champions League semi-finals in the 2016/2017 season and a Ligue 1 title win seeing PSG come in for Mbappe and City for Silva.

Unlike Mbappe, however, who infamously snubbed Real Madrid to stay where he is at the Parc des Princes, Silva currently longs for a change of scenery.

Though he is willing to join the La Liga giants, who are confident the player will wait for them to get their financial affairs in affair and offload De Jong, Silva would also reportedly welcome a departure to PSG.

The reigning French champions see it essential to sign players capable of making a difference from midfield, and feel that Silva fits the mold perfectly.

For Barca, having their plans scuppered by the Parisians would see them get a taste of their medicine.

This summer, they have twice stepped in when players – namely Raphinha and Kounde – looked to have agreed terms with Chelsea but ended up holding out for Barca and ditching the west Londoners at the altar.