Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola continues to leave the door open for Bernardo Silva to join Barcelona despite the remote chances of a move to Camp Nou materialising for the midfielder this month.
Guardiola mischievously quipped that Silva is fond of Barcelona and said that while he wants him to stay he does not want unhappy players at City.
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“I’m no one to tell Barca to forget about [signing] Bernardo,” Guardiola said in a news conference after City drew 3-3 with Barca at Camp Nou in a friendly on Wednesday.
“We want him to stay with us, but I don’t want anyone who’s not happy. The first thing would be for the clubs to come to an agreement, but there has been no offer for him in these last two years.
“I don’t want him to go, he’s a superlative player and a great person… and there are only seven or eight days left [in the window] and we would have to turn to the transfer market. I want him to stay.
“That said, it is true Bernardo likes Barcelona a lot.”
Seated alongside Guardiola, Barca coach Xavi Hernandez was asked if he would like to sign Silva.
“Who doesn’t like Bernardo Silva?” he replied. “And [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Erling] Haaland, what a team… but [Bernardo] is a very important player for City, someone who makes the difference.
“I love how he plays because there are very players like him, but [a move] depends on City.”
City CEO Ferran Soriano had earlier been less welcoming of a late move from Barca with the transfer window due to close on Sept.1.
