Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes his former club Barcelona will struggle to sign playmaker Bernardo Silva this summer.
The 27-year-old was a key cog in the Spaniard's City machine in 2021-22, scoring 13 goals and registering seven assists in 50 appearances across all competitions.
Silva's future, however, has come into question as he admitted earlier this year that he requested to leave the Etihad Stadium last summer, only for Guardiola to convince him to stay.
Barcelona are believed to be one of a number of top European clubs who are closely monitoring Silva's situation, with one report claiming that they have identified the Portugal international as a replacement for Frenkie de Jong, who has been heavily linked with Manchester United.
However, Guardiola told reporters on Monday, via journalist Reshad Rahman, that the Catalan giants "will have a difficult time" persuading Man City to sell Silva in this summer's transfer window.
Silva joined the Citizens from Monaco for around £43m in the summer of 2017 and he has since recorded 48 goals and 51 assists in 251 appearances across all tournaments, winning a total of 11 trophies.
The Lisbon-born playmaker, who has also been linked with Benfica, Atletico Madrid and Juventus, will see his City contract expire in June 2025.
Oliver Thomas
