With Ousmane Dembele’s exit imminent, Barcelona will have some breathing room on the Financial Fair Play front to reinforce their roster.
And as per a report from Javi Miguel, Barça manager Xavi Hernandez is pressing hard for the club to secure the signings of Manchester City duo Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo.
Bernardo Silva: Xavi’s most desired target
Xavi is keen on adding another midfielder who can further boost the creative profile of the team and add more quality, and has identified Bernardo Silva as his main target.
The 28-year-old remains open to the possibility of leaving Manchester City and is said to be dreaming of signing for the La Liga champions.
PSG were also interested in signing Silva, but have now pulled out of the race, which comes as a boost for Barça.
However, Man City will not make it easy for him to leave, given how important he is in Pep Guardiola’s setup. In fact, they are already pressing the Portuguese international to sign a new contract to ensure his continuity at the club.
In case the player makes an effort to leave, it could open up the window for Barcelona to negotiate.
Cancelo the first-choice target for right-back
As for Cancelo, the 29-year-old continues to be the manager’s preferred option for the right-back position despite the club making progress in their pursuit of Ivan Fresneda.
Indeed, Xavi has asked Barça to pause their hunt for the Real Valladolid youngster and make one last attempt for Cancelo, which could be possible now that Dembele is on his way out.
The manager wants to bring in players who can perform at the highest level right from the get-go and not take time, which is why he is leaning towards Cancelo over Fresneda, who has no experience in European football.
Xavi also stated in his post-match presser that he wants a ‘pure’ right-back now that Dembele is leaving, which further reinforces his desire to sign the Manchester City outcast.
Much will depend on the margin that Dembele’s exit will generate, and the demands Manchester City make.