Manchester City legend Pablo Zabaleta has warned Barcelona they will need to offer a big sum if they are to sign Bernardo Silva this summer.
Silva is reportedly a target for the Catalan giants should they sell Frenkie de Jong, who is being chased by Manchester United.
There’s a belief the Portuguese midfielder would fit perfectly into the team under Xavi and is open to the move so he can be closer to his homeland.
Manchester City are not interested in letting him go, though, after a season where he again established himself as one of the key players under Pep Guardiola.
Indeed, a report today stated that they have put a huge asking price on their man, demanding as much as €80m for him to join Barcelona.
That has put him far out of the reach of Los Cules, whose finances make any such deal highly unlikely.
Zabaleta has since been questioned on the possible transfer and also says that the deal would require a lot of money to get over the line.
“Signing Bernardo Silva will be really complicated,” he told Mundo Deportivo.
“It will be quite difficult for City to release him because he is a key piece in their scheme.
“It’s always possible to leave, especially if he wants to come to La Liga for a personal reason, and formulas can be sought, but it won’t be easy or cheap when it comes to City.
“Silva is not a cheap player. I don’t know Barça’s situation and whether they will be financially able to afford a signing of this magnitude, although for my part and my past, I hope he can stay at Manchester City.”
