Manchester City have reportedly offered Bernardo Silva a new contract that would make him the club's third-highest earner amid transfer interest from Barcelona.
According to the Daily Star, Silva is set to be offered the bumper new deal to keep Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain away from the Portuguese international. Pep Guardiola sees the player as a vital part of his side's future and does not want to lose him this transfer window.
Silva still has three years left on his contract at the club, so it would appear that the new deal is designed to reiterate City's commitment to the player. It is thought that the offer on the table for the 28-year-old would see him move behind Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland as the Blues' highest-paid players.
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Elsewhere, Sports Illustrated report that Barcelona's hopes of signing Silva have suffered a blow after the club failed to register Jules Kounde for their second La Liga match.
They report that this failure to register Kounde is due to the club's ongoing financial difficulties and therefore hinders the Catalan club's potential move for Silva. It is thought that City are holding out for a bid of at least £80million if they are to let their player go, and this latest news goes someway to providing an insight into Barcelona's off-pitch struggles.
Guardiola has admitted himself that he is unsure what will happen to Silva this transfer window, but time is running out for other clubs to take the midfielder away from the Etihad Stadium. City will be quietly pleased with the latest news from Barcelona as they look to move one step closer to keeping their player with less than two weeks left in the window.
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