Manchester City have worked on signing Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, who could be brought in to replace Bernardo Silva, however the Bundesliga club have no interest in selling the midfielder, according to a report from 90min.
Is Bernardo Silva leaving Man City?
Silva is contracted until the summer of 2025, meaning Man City could hold off on selling him this summer, despite the interest from Barcelona, with it being reported that the player himself "dreams" of a move to the Camp Nou.
For City to consider selling the Portugal international, they would need to receive a fee of around €80m (£68m), as they have no interest in letting him leave, with a contract renewal worth around €18m (£15m) set to be tabled.
According to a report from 90min, the Sky Blues are ready to stand firm over the midfielder's desire to leave, and they have now informed him they have no plans to sell him this summer.
There is an offer on the table from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, but the Man City star has little interest in the move, despite the lucrative nature of the contract, but he is keen to speak to Barca and Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG have already held conversations with the former Benfica man, informing the European champions they would be willing to pay £75m to secure his signature, however that still may not be enough, as City cannot afford to lose him this summer.
There has already been some high-profile exits this summer, with Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan departing, meaning Pep Guardiola may be less likely to sanction Silva's departure.
With the Portuguese midfielder's future in doubt though, Man City have started to look at other midfield targets, including the likes of Joshua Kimmich, Nicolo Barella and Wirtz, however none of them look to be available at the moment, meaning the need to keep Silva is even more pressing.
Who is Florian Wirtz?
If Leverkusen soften their stance at a later stage in the transfer window and allow the 20-year-old to leave, he could be a fantastic replacement for Silva, having already established himself at international level, making eight caps for Germany.
Primarily an attacking midfielder, the German is also capable of operating on both wings and at striker, meaning he could be a versatile option for Pep Guardiola's side, and he has performed very well over the past few seasons.
Despite his age, the starlet is already a very important player for Leverkusen, registering 23 goals and 30 assists in 103 appearances for the Bundesliga side, meaning he averages over one goal contribution every other game.
The Pulheim-born maestro is also a fantastic dribbler of the ball, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
Having been hailed as an "elite talent" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Wirtz clearly has a lot of potential, so it is disappointing that he is not available for the time being, but Man City should keep him on the shortlist as a possible future target.
