Barcelona could swap Frankie De Jong to sign Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva of Manchester City against Shakhtar Donetsk in UEFA Champions League
Bernardo Silva of Manchester City against Shakhtar Donetsk in UEFA Champions League

Barcelona are reportedly willing to use Frenkie de Jong in a player-plus-cash deal to sign long-term transfer target Bernardo Silva.

The Catalan side have held a long-term interest in the Portuguese midfielder and was willing to sign him last summer. However, Manchester City refused to do business with Barca, as they were unwilling to let Silva go.

Silva is an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s side and will reportedly cost any potential buyer €80m.

That asking price is proving too high for the Catalans, so they are now looking to insert a player into their deal to sign the Manchester City midfielder. According to El Nacional via Goal, Xavi’s side are desperate to sign Silva and will be willing to let go of De Jong in a player-plus-cash deal.

The Dutchman was put up for sale last summer but refused many offers to leave Camp Nou, especially from Manchester United. But according to new reports, playing under Pep Guardiola at City does entice him.

De Jong has made 17 appearances for Barca this season, scoring two goals and registering one assist. In comparison, Bernardo Silva has made 22 appearances for City in all competitions, scoring two goals and registering five assists.

Both players are representing their national teams in the World Cup and hoping to put in world-class performances.