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What's the story?
Barcelona spent significant effort and time in attempting to bring Phillipe Coutinho to the Camp Nou in the summer. Unfortunately for the Catalans, Liverpool remained resolute in the face of temptation and determinedly turned down every deal that Barcelona offered them.
Barcelona will almost certainly resume their pursuit of Coutinho in January, but it appears that they have grown wary of Liverpool's perseverance, and have lined up alternative options should the Reds turn them down again. According to reports from the Mirror, Manchester City's Bernardo Silva has been identified as a potential replacement for the ageing Andres Iniesta.
In case you didn't know...
Bernardo Silva began his professional career at Benfica's B Team, where he scored 7 goals in 38 appearances and was called up to Benfica's first team thrice. The Portuguese midfielder was loaned out to AS Monaco in 2014-15 and was signed on a permanent basis just a few months later.
Silva made 126 appearances for Monaco, scoring 25 goals along the way. The midfielder really burst on to the scene in his last season at Monaco and was part of an exciting Monaco team that won the Ligue 1 and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. His performances earned him a move to Manchester City in the summer of 2017 for a fee believed to be close to £43.5 million.
The heart of the matter
Manchester City has begun the season in imperious form and currently sit eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table. The Citizens have been in fine goal-scoring form, with the likes of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane running riot in midfield.
Bernardo Silva has struggled to break into the first team with his team-mates in such fine form, and his appearances have largely been off the bench. Barcelona may see his lack of game time as a potential motivator for the young Portuguese midfielder.
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Author's take
It's only been a few months since Bernardo Silva joined Manchester City and he will want to fight for his place in the team. The FA Cup will begin in January and fixture congestion may allow Silva an opportunity to stake a claim for a first-team position.
