Saudi Arabian club, Al-Hilal, have reportedly met with the entourage of Bernardo Silva to try and lure him away from Manchester City this summer.
The 28-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium in recent weeks, with clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona joining Al-Hilal in having an interest in the player.
Now though, some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding the Saudi club’s attempts of securing a deal for the City star.
Al-Hilal meet with Silva’s entourage
According to a recent report from ESPN, Al-Hilal have met with Silva’s entourage over a potential move to Saudi this summer and are willing to offer him around £500k-per-week in his contract.
The report also adds that the midfielder’s preference is to stay in Europe, but he has not yet ruled out joining the Saudi side.
Last season saw the Portuguese international play in 55 of City’s game across all competitions, featuring in numerous positions, which shows how important he is for Pep Guardiola and the team.
It also shows why potentially seeing Silva, who has been hailed for his “outstanding” performances previously by journalist Sam Wallace, wave goodbye to the club this summer would be such a blow for them.
With a report last month claiming that the Citizens have offered the midfielder an improved contract to try and extend his stay at the Etihad and ward off interest from elsewhere, this showcases how eager the European champions are to keep hold of him.
In our view, we feel that the Manchester club should do all they can to at least keep Silva where he is for another season, although if they can get him to stick around for longer and sign a new deal, this would undoubtedly be a massive positive for them.
On the flip side, if the player has made his mind up about leaving and starting a new chapter elsewhere, the club must make sure they don’t only pick up a suitable fee for him, but also find a suitable replacement.
