Manchester City have reportedly denied that they have offered Barcelona the chance to sign Bernardo Silva during this summer's transfer window.
The Portugal international's future has been the subject of speculation in recent weeks, with Barcelona said to be keen to bring him to Camp Nou despite already being active during the summer market.
A recent report claimed that Man City had been in touch with the Catalan side to signal that they would be prepared to accept an offer in the region of £67m for the playmaker.
However, according to the Daily Mail, the Citizens have denied such speculation, with the club determined to keep hold of him beyond the end of the summer transfer window.
"He is a very good player. I have to respect, though, that he belongs to Manchester City. I have some friends there, like Pep Guardiola, Tixi Bergstein and Khaldoon Al Mubarak. There are a lot of people I know," Barcelona president Joan Laporta told CBS Sports when asked about Bernardo.
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Bernardo attempted to leave the Etihad Stadium during last summer's transfer window, with the attacker said to be keen to return to Portugal or move to Spain.
The Portuguese ultimately stayed with the Citizens, though, and he was again a key player for Guardiola's side, scoring 13 goals and registering seven assists in 50 appearances.
The attacker still has three years left to run on his contract in Manchester, but he recently admitted that he does not view his long-term future with the English club.
"I miss Portugal a lot. If I could go back in a year or two, I would. Not only because I would like to play for Benfica again, but because I miss my family and living in Portugal very much," he told Channel 11 earlier this year.
Bernardo has won four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four League Cup crowns during a highly-successful period at the Etihad Stadium.
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The former Benfica youngster played the full 90 minutes of Man City's 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Community Shield on Saturday afternoon.
"As of today, in my opinion, I think Bernardo Silva will continue with us next season. Our goal, as a club, is for him to stay with us. This is our intention, although I don't like to keep players that are unhappy," Guardiola told reporters last month when asked about Bernardo's future.
Barcelona have already signed Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde during an impressive transfer window.
However, Laporta recently said that more new players could arrive this summer: "We have improved with new signings like Lewandowski, Christensen, Kessie, Kounde and Raphinha and there are probably still some more to come."
Bernardo has been an important player for Man City since arriving from Monaco in July 2017, making 249 appearances in all competitions, contributing 48 goals and 50 assists in the process.
Matt Law
