Man City will try and sign ‘world-class’ reported Liverpool target if they sell Bernardo Silva

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Manchester City will install reported Liverpool target Nicolo Barella as their priority signing if they lose Bernardo Silva this summer.

Silva could be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium, with PSG trying to tie up a deal to sign him. Meanwhile, plenty of reports have asserted Liverpool’s interest in Barella.

According to Tuttmercatoweb though, City may actually be a more likely destination for the Inter Milan midfielder.

They claim that the European champions have a ‘clear idea’ to go after Barella in the event PSG meet their £86m valuation of Silva.

Pep Guardiola has reportedly ‘fallen in love’ with the Italian’s style of play and is ready to spend big on getting him.

It’s claimed that Intermmay not be in a position to refuse a massive over from City. However, in this case, massive really does mean massive. The Nerazzurri could reportedly use Declan Rice’s £105m move to Arsenal as the yard-stick. If an offer like that comes in, it seems they’ll let Barella go.

City readying Barella move

Since Liverpool signed Dominik Szoboszlai, links to Barella have gone very quiet indeed.

That leads us to assuming that the Reds were perhaps considering the Italy international as an alternative to Szoboszlai.

Now, their focus is very much on finding an appropriate defensive midfielder. Although he would still make a very handy addition, that isn’t Barella.

For City though, you could see the 26-year-old being a decent replacement for Ilkay Gundogan. He’s a slightly different player, but you’d imagine if they do bring him in, Guardiola will have a plan for him.

That looks like a very big ‘if’ right now, though. Arsenal’s monster move for Rice has thrown the whole midfield market into dissarray.

Barella is a more accomplished player than the England man, having been deemed to be ‘world-class’ by none other than Steven Gerrard.

In this crazy market, you have to pay big bucks for a player like that. City, of course, don’t have a problem with the money. But even they usually draw the line somewhere. Unless anything drastic changes, we think Barella is staying right where he is.