Real Madrid to win race for Man City star who 'dreams' of Barcelona

Stuart Telford

• 21 Apr 2024 12:00 BST
• 3 min read

Real Madrid are favourites to sign a long-term Barcelona target from Manchester City this summer, according to a report.

The path between Man City and Barcelona is becoming increasingly well-trodden, with three of Barca's first-team regulars - Ilkay Gundogan, Joao Cancelo and Ferran Torres - recently on City's books.

And they have been public in their admiration of more than one other, with Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva both courted - no matter how unrealistic a transfer might be to realise.

READ MORE: Latest Real Madrid transfer rumours

Pep Guardiola previously admitted that Bernardo "dreams" of playing for Barcelona one day, and that he wouldn't stand in his way if a sufficient bid was made.

But Barca remain £1.2 billion in debt after panicking to replace Lionel Messi following his free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and their Clasico rivals are ready to swoop for Bernardo instead.

'Door open' for Real

"Real Madrid have jumped to the front of the queue in the race for Bernardo Silva," reports The Daily Star's Harry Pratt. "The Manchester City playmaker has a £50 million [€58m] buy-out clause in his Etihad contract, which is sparking significant transfer interest… ahead of the summer window.

"If he is to leave, Portuguese midfielder Silva, a £60 million [€50m] buy from Monaco in 2017, is thought to favour Spain. And with Barcelona struggling to raise the money to finance a deal, the door is open for Real to swoop."

READ MORE: Real Madrid's 10 most expensive transfers of all time

Bernardo - who is valued at €64.9m by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm - scored a stunning free-kick against Real at the Bernabeu two weeks ago, but the defending champions were ultimately dumped out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.

It is speculated that Bernardo would ultimately fulfil Luka Modric's role at the Bernabeu - that of a seasoned midfield operator, but one nine years younger than the Croatian.