sport news PETE JENSON: Barcelona WILL bring in Bernardo Silva if they can sell Frenkie de ... trends now
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Xavi is a big admirer of Bernardo Silva and no one at Barcelona doubts the Manchester City midfielder's quality. But if he ends up signing for Barca the transfer will have as much to do with finances as football.
Barcelona are still emerging from the financial quagmire of years of mismanagement and €500million (£417m) of revenue lost to the pandemic. They have sold off various assets but they now need to convince LaLiga that they have increased revenue sufficiently to be allowed to register all their new signings.
Club president Joan Laporta referenced this cloud of doubt hanging over the club on Monday when they presented Jules Kounde.
LaLiga have prevented Barcelona from buying City's Bernardo Silva until they sell a big player
He said he hoped LaLiga would interpret Barcelona's summer economic activity in the same way as the club, and that they would not put further 'obstacles' in Barcelona's path as they try to move forward.
Moving forward meanings signing Cesar Azpilicueta from Chelsea, too. The club sent the accounting paperwork to LaLiga on Tuesday and is now waiting for the verdict.
If LaLiga accepts the figures offered them by Barcelona then they can sign Azpilicueta and possibly his Chelsea team-mate Marcos Alonso too.
But if LaLiga dispute the figures then Barcelona will need to take action. They could sell more of Barca TV with socios.com apparently willing to buy a further 25 per cent of the club's production company. They could also sell a big player.
The pressure for Frenkie de Jong to leave is already cranked up to maximum and the club's masterplan is that the Dutchman goes and that Silva joins in his place, for all that they are not similar players.
If Barca can sell De Jong for the £70m they paid for him in 2019 and bring in Silva for a similar price they will do it. The financial gain will come for them with the wages because the City midfielder will earn a fraction of the Dutch international's projected earnings.
Xavi is a true admirer of the playmaker's intelligence and he is now Barcelona's priority target
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