Man City's Bernardo Silva has said 'yes' to Barça transfer this summer

Barcelona know it won't be easy, that they will have to do a lot of work to convince Manchester City, but Bernardo Silva is a target.

Silva has taken the first step, too. He has made it clear to his agent, Jorge Mendes, that he wants to play at Camp Nou next season.

The Portugal international, a key piece in Pep Guardiola's side, has decided it's time for a chance in his career and to leave the English city.

That's the easy part, though. Silva is keen to move to Barcelona and Barça would love to sign him, but there are many more hurdles to overcome.

For starters, beyond the fact Guardiola wants him to stay, his contract runs until 2025. He played 50 games this past season, scoring 13 goals and setting up seven. He was a regular in the big games.

City will not drop (at least initially) from their €100 million asking price. Barça want to reduce that by €40m, but nothing is imminent anyway.

There could also be a change of plans depending on what happens with Frenkie de Jong. If money is not raised from the sale of the Dutchman, there may not be liquidity to invest in midfield.

GUARDIOLA TALKS

Silva has communicated his desire to leave to Guardiola, who knows how the player feels.

"I think he will stay," Guardiola said recently. "But as I have always said, since my time at Barça, I don't want players that don't want to be there.

"What I can say is that Bernardo is very important to us."