Barcelona are close to snapping up the old goal for free, according to Flick

Barcelona appear to be on the verge of realizing an old dream after manager Hansi Flick approved the signing of Portugal international Bernardo Silva (31) in a free transfer deal that could change the makeup of the team’s midfield next season.

Journalist Jordi Basti revealed on RAC1 Radio’s El Mon that the player is very close to wearing the Blaugrana shirt when his contract with Manchester City expires on June 30, after nine seasons in which he made 476 appearances and scored 76 goals after joining from Monaco in 2017.

Despite Flick’s approval, Barcelona will not be able to complete the deal before completing some sales in the coming weeks to settle the salary cap. Pair Mark Casado and Ronnie Bargee are the most popular candidates to leave to make way for a Portuguese deal.

Bernardo, who has always declared his love for Barcelona through past childhood photos and interviews, was a top target for Xavi Hernandez for two summers in a row, but Manchester City then backed out of talks. Today, the scene has completely changed as the player makes Barcelona his absolute priority despite receiving offers from big clubs, notably Atletico Madrid, and he is even willing to take a significant pay cut compared to what he was getting at the Etihad Stadium.

Bernardo’s value is not only in his name, but in the multiplicity of his roles. He is capable of operating as a double prop, playmaker or even a right-winger, with exceptional physicality that has seen him miss just 26 matches in 11 seasons for club and country.

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While Barcelona wait to finalize departures, Bernardo has already joined Roberto Martinez’s Portugal camp in preparation for Chile’s friendlies in Lisbon on Saturday and Nigeria on June 10, before the World Cup opener against the Democratic Republic of Congo on June 17 in a group that also includes Uzbekistan and Colombia.