This summer, Xavi’s obsession with finding the ideal interior midfielder to play alongside Sergio Busquets and Pedri has come to the fore.
The Barcelona manager is determined to recreate the modern version of his partnership with Andres Iniesta during Pep Guardiola’s tenure, with Busquets serving as the number six.
Xavi has already stated his intention to use new signing Pablo Torre as an interior midfielder, but it is no secret that the Spaniard is looking for a proven option in the middle of the park.
Bernardo Silva of Manchester City is one of his preferred candidates. Xavi rates the Portuguese international highly due to his technical ability and creativity in the final third of the pitch.
On the other hand, Manchester City has no intention of selling their star midfielder this summer, with Pep Guardiola issuing a strong warning just a few days ago.
A recent MARCA report has provided an update on Barça’s pursuit of Silva, indicating that Man City may be looking for around €100 million for the services of the creative midfielder.
It is an unattainable figure for Barcelona, especially given the club’s inability to pursue other top targets such as Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, among many others, due to the ongoing economic crisis.
Given the importance of signing Lewandowski and finding an ideal replacement for Ousmane Dembele, Barcelona is unlikely to consider paying such a high price for Bernardo Silva.
However, the deal could happen in the future, especially if Silva decides to leave Man City’s hegemony over English football and take on a more difficult task at Barça as they seek to reclaim the club’s lost glory under Xavi.
