From France: Paris Saint-Germain admit defeat in Bernardo Silva pursuit with new Manchester City contract on offer

Paris Saint-Germain have given up their long-drawn pursuit of Manchester City star Bernardo Silva owing to the club’s €100 million of the midfielder, as per reports from France.

Silva enjoyed another sensational campaign at the Etihad Stadium last term, playing a crucial role as Pep Guardiola’s men raced to a historic treble of trophies and collected their maiden Champions League title.

The 28-year-old, who joined Manchester City from AS Monaco in 2017, has two years left on his current deal in the north-west and is understood to have remained keen on a new challenge away from England to move closer to his homeland in Portugal.

Silva is believed to have been open to a City exit for over two summers but the financial constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic on clubs across Europe have made it difficult for potential suitors to persuade the Premier League champions to cash in on a key player at the peak of his powers.

Every year into his Manchester City tenure, Silva has proved how significant he is to Guardiola in his demanding system that often relies heavily on certain individuals in midfield to control the flow and nature of play from defence to attack.

Silva’s versatility, attitude and output in a variety of positions have made him next to indispensable to the Catalan, who is desperate for Manchester City to fend off interest in the midfielder once again.

Paris Saint-Germain were reported to be the only club who submitted an official bid to Manchester City for Bernardo Silva last summer – which was swiftly turned down by officials at the Etihad Stadium as it fell way below their asking price for the Lisbon-born playmaker.

PSG have rekindled their interest in the five-time Premier League winner ahead of the new season but according to Le 10 Sport, whose information has been relayed by Sport Witness, the Ligue 1 giants have failed in their pursuit of the midfielder, which has gone on for over two months in the ongoing transfer window.

Manchester City have maintained over the years that they will not stand in Silva’s way should a suitor club table an acceptable bid that can be deemed a fair price for their man. However, it has been claimed that Guardiola will only allow Silva to be sold if City receive a bid in the region of €100 million.

PSG’s frustrations over City’s stance on their valuation have effectively ended their pursuit of Silva, who has been offered a lucrative, new contract offer by the Champions League winners, who have already lost Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona on a free transfer earlier in the window.

Sam Lee of The Athletic has reported that there remains a hope within the club that Silva will stay put for at least one more season, which would present a better chance for the midfielder to negotiate an exit with the Etihad outfit in 2024.

It remains to be seen if Silva commits his long-term future to Manchester City but the European champions will be hoping that they can hold on to one of Guardiola’s most important players into the new season having already bid farewell to Gundogan.