Manchester United move ahead of Barcelona in transfer race
Manchester United lead the race for Bernardo Silva
Barcelona and Manchester United are set to tangle in what should shape up as one of the summer’s most interesting transfer battles. For the moment, Jose Mourinho’s club have the advantage over the La Liga club in the race for Bernardo Silva.
The Sun reports that United are prepared to pay Monaco a transfer fee of £70 million for the talented Portuguese starlet. Silva’s price is a product of his prodigious level of talent and the fact that his contract with the Ligue 1 club doesn’t run out until 2020.
Silva’s stellar offensive play is a big reason why Monaco find themselves with a three-point lead in the Ligue 1 standings at the moment. He’s managed to score five goals and add five assists on the year for the leaders of France’s top division. Curiously, his Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.26 is only good for eighth on his own squad.
Don’t expect that little detail to dampen the interest of United, Barcelona, or any other European power this summer. Silva is exactly the sort of silky attacker that can thrive in any of Europe’s top leagues. At just 22 years of age he also has significant career growth ahead of him.
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It’s hard not to see Silva’s future tied to that of Antoine Griezmann. United are certainly expected to be strong bidders for the Frenchman’s services this summer. His transfer fee will easily eclipse that of Silva’s. One has to wonder whether or not Mourinho’s club can afford to add both attackers this summer.
Of course, Barcelona aren’t necessarily in a position to make a huge transfer purchase either. Officials for the Spanish giants repeatedly claim they can’t make a significant buy until they’re able to sell off some of their current stars. That philosophy doesn’t ring true with many Barcelona fans, but until they make a big transfer purchase we’re forced to take the club at their word.
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Manchester United may be leading the race for Bernardo Silva at the moment, but there’s a long time between now and the beginning of the summer transfer window. The list of clubs interested in Silva is likely to get longer before Monaco ultimately part with their talented young goal scorer.