PSG launching third attempt to land Bernardo Silva after Manchester City rejected €70M bid in 2023 | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain have re-entered the race to sign Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva this summer, as per a new report.

Bernardo Silva is set to leave Manchester City as a free agent when his current contract expires this summer, with transfer insider Fabrizio Romano and City assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders having confirmed the Portuguese’s exit in recent weeks.

Silva has been one of the most decorated players of the modern era during a nine-year association with the club, winning six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League and a historic treble since joining from AS Monaco for £43 million in 2017.

However, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has maintained that Silva is yet to inform him of his plans for next season – insisting he “deserved” to be the first to know.

Report: PSG emerge as surprise contender for Silva

According to new claims, Paris Saint-Germain have emerged as a ‘surprise contender’ for Silva’s signature this summer, having previously made two attempts to sign the Portuguese midfielder during his time at Manchester City.

While a Benfica return is said to have always been the City skipper’s ‘ultimate ambition’ during the closing stages of his top-level career, it is reported that PSG and Barcelona have made recent contact due to his free agent status, establishing potential wages and a signing-on fee.

PSG’s interest in Silva is far from new. The French champions made an audacious €70 million bid for the midfielder in the summer of 2023 – a bid City rejected – before registering further interest the following summer.

His availability on a free transfer this summer, combined with the financial package any club would be required to offer in lieu of a fee, makes the Parc des Princes a credible destination in a way that previous approaches could not quite achieve.

How does PSG’s interest fit into the wider picture?

Barcelona had previously been understood to be Silva’s preferred next destination, with the playmaker having long harboured a desire to return to western Europe and reunite with compatriot and former Manchester City teammate Joao Cancelo.

However, financial constraints at the Camp Nou have consistently complicated the pursuit and PSG’s renewed interest introduces a fresh dynamic into what is shaping up to be a genuinely competitive transfer race.

Juventus had also made formal contact with Silva’s agent Jorge Mendes over a potential move to Turin, while the Saudi Pro League has previously tabled extraordinary financial offers for the City skipper that he is so far believed to have declined.

Silva’s availability on a free transfer is the defining factor in how this summer’s pursuit unfolds. The wages and signing-on fee any club would need to offer, given what City will not be paying him after June, represent a significant but not insurmountable commitment for a club of PSG’s financial standing.

With Barcelona still navigating their own financial complexities and Benfica the sentimental favourite rather than the frontrunner, the Parc des Princes could yet spring the surprise that this latest report suggests is possible.