Report: Arsenal in contention to sign 12 G/A midfielder, he'll decide after World Cup | OneFootball

Arsenal are reportedly one of the clubs in the mix for the potential transfer of Bernardo Silva this summer as he plans to decide his next move after the 2026 World Cup.

The Portugal international has already announced that he’ll be leaving Manchester City when his contract expires this summer, and it seems the Gunners are emerging as surprise suitors.

That’s according to a report from ESPN Brasil, which also suggests the rivalry between Arsenal and Man City might complicate things, with Barcelona also keeping an eye on Silva’s situation.

Silva remains a top performer at the highest level with five goals and seven assists in all competitions for club and country this season, though he will be turning 32 later this year.

While Arsenal could do with signing a more creative and attack-minded midfielder of that mould, it would probably be more worthwhile to go for someone who’d be more of a long-term option.

Arsenal need more spark in midfield but is Bernardo Silva the answer?

There’s no doubt that Arsenal’s attack has left a lot to be desired this season, and that’s partly down to injuries and a loss of form from Martin Odegaard.

Siva could give AFC a bit more spark in the final third, while he’s also an experienced winner, so perhaps there’s an argument for snapping him up considering he’d be available on a free.

ESPN’s report suggests the 31-year-old is not keen on moving to somewhere like the Saudi Pro League yet, so he clearly feels he can continue to perform at the highest level in Europe.

Our recent information was that Silva had interest from the likes of Juventus, Napoli, and Atletico Madrid, so there could be a chance for him to keep on playing for a big club.

Bernardo Silva to Arsenal Transfer Fit rating

See below as we’ve given this potential deal XX/XX using our Transfer Fit rating criteria explained here…

Silva scores well for being the type of profile Arsenal need, being available on the cheap, and being proven at the highest level after a great career.

Still, his ‘career phase’ score is low as he’s surely now past his best and unlikely to be able to give Arsenal more than a year or two at most of the kind of performances they’re looking for.