Manchester City want Barcelona star as part of ambitious swap deal involving Bernardo Silva: Reports

Barcelona's interest in Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva could see Spanish winger Ansu Fati move in the other direction. According to Catalan outlet El Nacional, City manager Pep Guardiola is keen on bringing the winger to the Etihad Stadium.

Barca's recent financial troubles have been well publicized. Reports have suggested that La Liga has prevented them from completing the extensions of Gavi and Ronald Araujo due to non-compliance with Financial Fair Play rules. With this in mind, they are looking to cut down on their wage bill and thus, a deal for Ansu Fati could be on the cards.

According to the report, Barcelona are not happy with Ansu Fati. The heir to Lionel Messi's legendary number 10 shirt, Fati has not been able to recapture his old form after multiple injuries. Barca believe he has lost his spark and is now afraid of contact from defenders.

The report also adds that Guardiola is enamored by Fati and would love to add him to an already potent front line which contains the likes of Erling Haaland and Phil Foden.

Both Silva and Fati are represented by agent Jorge Mendes, who could play a vital role in the deal. Currently, Barcelona value Fati at €90 million while City value the Portuguese midfielder at €80 million. However, according to the report, City will only want a player-swap and won't add money to the deal.

Fati's preference is to stay in Barcelona and fight for his place under manager Xavi. He wants to become an undisputed starter alongside Robert Lewandowski and Ousmane Dembele. If that does not happen, an exit to Manchester City would be his preference.

Barcelona 'one step closer' to signing Premier League midfielder in the summer

Ruben Neves is close to securing his dream move to La Liga.

Barcelona are reportedly close to completing a deal to secure the services of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves. According to Joaquim Piera of Sport, Wolves' signing of Brazilian midfielder Joao Gomes could make Neves' move to the La Liga giants easier.

Blaugrana president Joan Laporta has, for a long time, been interested in bringing Neves to Camp Nou, as he is seen as the long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets. With Neves' contract set to expire in the summer of 2024, acquiring him could be cheaper than other options such as Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad.

21-year-old Joao Gomes is seen as Neves' replacement by Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui; he was signed for €18.7 million.