Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he was ‘keen’ to keep Bernardo Silva’s services but added that the Portugal international ‘likes Barcelona a lot’.
Silva has been linked with a move to the Spanish side in recent weeks and Guardiola left the door open to the midfielder’s potential departure from the Premier League champions.
“I’m not one to tell Barca to forget Bernardo,” Guardiola told reporters on Wednesday after Barcelona and City drew 3-3 in a friendly at the Camp Nou.
“We want him to stay with us but I don’t want anyone who is unhappy. The first thing would be for the clubs to come to an agreement but there hasn’t been an offer for him in the last two years.”
“I don’t want him to go, he’s a superlative player and a great person… And there’s only seven or eight days left (in the window) and we’d have to go to the transfer market. I want him to stay . It’s true that Bernardo likes Barcelona a lot.”
Barcelona manager Xavi, sitting next to Guardiola at the press conference, said every move “will depend on City”.
City, second in the league, welcome bottom-placed Crystal Palace on Saturday.