Guardiola made Silva transfer swap 'proposal' as Man City clause comes to light
Pep Guardiola is an admirer of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery and proposed signing the teenager as part of a deal that would have seen Bernardo Silva leave Manchester City.
The Portugal international was heavily linked with a move to the French capital club this summer but no move came to fruition and he instead penned a new deal at the Etihad. However, it has since emerged that new contract includes a £50million release clause.
Silva played a key role in City’s treble-winning campaign last term after Guardiola broke his own stance on allowing players to leave the club. The City boss has not stood in the way of allowing players to leave the Etihad should they wish in the past.
Indeed, when Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko were allowed to join Arsenal in the summer of 2022 as Raheem Sterling joined Chelsea, Guardiola said: "When you don't want to stay and want to leave, you cannot stay." This was also the same approach adopted when Leroy Sane previously departed for Bayern Munich.
Silva has long been open to a move away from City despite continuing to play a prominent role under Guardiola. He remains one of the first names on the teamsheet and despite not having the stardom of Erling Haaland or Kevin De Bruyne, Silva is a crucial player in the starting line-up and regularly produces big moments.
Pep Guardiola went back on his word after blocking last-ditch Barcelona transfer
A report in RMC Sport outlines how Guardiola was reluctant to allow him to leave this summer but in discussions with PSG over a move, the City boss proposed that promising midfielder Zaire-Emery would go the other way in any potential move.
The 17-year-old is primarily a defensive midfielder with a notable physique and impressive technical abilities, who has made 38 appearances for the French club since making his debut a year ago – and has also become a part of France’s under-21 set-up.
Have Your Say! Should Man City allow Silva to depart next year ? Tell us what you think here.
Zaire-Emery made Champions League history in February as he started against Bayern Munich (Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)In February, Zaire-Emery became PSG's youngest ever goalscorer, aged 16 years and 330 days, while 13 days later, he became the youngest player to start a Champions League knockout game. He is a symbol of PSG’s transition to a younger core of players who have a connection to the French capital.
Silva penned a contract extension at City last month but it was only for an additional year, taking his contract expiry from the summer of 2025 to through until 2026. He also secured a salary rise, making him one of the best-earning players at the club to reflect his status in the team.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
