Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva transfer delays resulted in failed pursuit of now-Tottenham star

Delays around clarification concerning Bernardo Silva’s Manchester City future meant the Premier League champions stuttered in their admiration for a now-Tottenham star.

Officials at the Etihad Stadium sought out fresh recruits in the centre of the park throughout the summer transfer window, and while one day came to fruition without any problem, other signings were more problematic.

Mateo Kovacic joined Manchester City from Chelsea in a £25 million agreement early in the summer market, with the Croatian midfielder being followed by fellow countryman Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig in the subsequent weeks.

However, one report has detailed that Manchester City may have in fact beaten Tottenham to the signing of one of their key components, had they found clarification on the future of Bernardo Silva much sooner in the summer.

The Portugal international was once again at the centre of intense transfer speculation, with clubs in Saudi Arabia accompanied by interest from Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona, although Bernardo Silva ultimately opted to stay put in the north-west of England.

According to a report from the Daily Mail however, it is claimed that Manchester City could not formalise their interest in former Leicester City playmaker James Maddison without knowing about departures at the club, namely Bernardo Silva.

The 26-year-old would go on to complete a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as the North London club finalised an agreement for the player for an undisclosed fee in late June, with the England international penning a five-year deal.

Subsequent reports would reveal that the transfer fee agreed was in the region of £40 million, and it is understood that such a valuation would have suited Manchester City’s bracket for the player, had they have moved sooner.

James Maddison has proven to be a huge hit amongst the Tottenham faithful, and the trust in him shown by head coach Ange Postecoglou was proven by the decision to appoint the player as vice-captain alongside Christian Romero.

Manchester City would go on to sign Matheus Nunes from Wolverhampton Wanderers later on in the window, after withdrawing interest in West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta due to an ongoing FIFA and FA investigation.