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Barcelona's attempts to acquire Bernardo Silva on loan during the final day of the January transfer window came to a disappointing end. Although they reached out to Manchester City for his signature, they Cityzens refused to release the Portuguese midfielder.
According to Portuguese news outfit Record, this was due to the fact that the English champions had already allowed Joao Cancelo to leave. The full-back will play for Bayern Munich until the end of the season, and the Cityzens are unwilling to part with another player.
Barcelona had previously courted Silva last summer as well, but ultimately the deal fell through and the vibrant midfielder remained at the Etihad. According to sources close to the player, Silva is open to the idea of joining Barca. However, Man City's unwillingness to let him go during the middle of the season has thwarted the move.
Silva's agent, Jorge Mendes, had offered to negotiate a transfer, but City refused to budge on their stance. The Spanish club will now look towards other transfer opportunities, while being aware that their full-back Hector Bellerin could potentially leave for Sporting Lisbon.
Barcelona remain interested in Mohammed Kudus
According to a report by sports news outlet, SPORT, Barcelona are keeping close tabs on Ajax’s Ghanian forward Mohammed Kudus with the intention of signing the 22-year-old in the summer. Kudus has been linked with a move after his impressive performances at the World Cup in Qatar, where he bagged two goals.
Ajax are expected to demand as much as €45 million to part with the talented midfielder. This asking price might prove problematic for the Blaugrana, whose dire financial situation is one of the worst-kept secrets in Europe. Despite this, Barca will hope their long-standing favorable relationship with the Amsterdam club helps them negotiate a suitable deal.
Both clubs have done business with each other recently, with the signings of Serginho Dest and Frenkie de Jong going smoothly. The sides are also linked by the shared legacy of late footballing great Johan Cruyff, and Barcelona will hope that proves enough to help them negotiate a deal.
The Catalan club are also keen to sign Kudus as soon as possible to boost their squad for next season, as they look to regain their standing as one of the best teams in Europe.
