What's the story?
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has set his sights on AS Monaco midfielder Bernardo Silva and it is believed that the Portuguese starlet was recently scouted by Barcelona's technical director.
Luis Enrique’s men have picked up the pace in all competitions after a sluggish end to the last calendar year. The Catalans are unbeaten in the league in the last two months and have reduced Real Madrid's lead at the top to just one point whilst also securing a place in the final of the Copa del Rey.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Bernardo Silva is being touted as Barcelona's number one target in the summer and they have looked at his performances minutely this campaign.
In case you didn't know...
Silva came up through the ranks at Benfica with him joining the Portuguese side back in 2002, aged eight. However, with playing time hard to come by, he initially joined the Ligue 1 side, Monaco on loan three seasons ago. However, over the years, he has become a vital part of the machinery at the principality. In the 2016/17 season, Silva made 31 appearances for the French side and has scored seven goals this term.
He has ten senior caps for his national side, Portugal and has also played for Portugal U-19 and U-21, in which he made 27 appearances and scoring eight goals on the way.
The heart of the matter
Barcelona's technical director, Robert Fernandez was in the stands in Monaco's 3-0 win over fellow title contenders Nice to keep an eye on Bernardo Silva. The director was not disappointed as Silva played a key role and followed his impressive goal scoring performance against Paris Saint-Germain in his team's last game.
Mundo Deportivo also reports that talks have taken place between Barcelona and Silva's agent, Jorge Mendes. It is reported that Monaco value their key player, who can play in a midfield three and also in a number 10 role, at £70 million.
Sportskeeda's take
Bernardo Silva is one of the most sought after midfielders after impressing in the south coast of France. Silva's price might be a bit on the higher side but the Portuguese can be a perfect fit at Camp Nou whose playmaking skills are compared to Lionel Messi.
