Barcelona dealt brutal blow in pursuit of Man City's Bernardo Silva

Barcelona's hopes of signing Manchester City star Bernardo Silva were slashed on Monday after Pep Guardiola addressed the player's future.

Barcelona has been plotting a potential move for Manchester City star Bernardo Silva throughout the transfer window, but Pep Guardiola dealt the Catalan club a dashing blow in their hopes of landing the Portuguese international. According to Fabrizio Romano, Guardiola has made his stance on Silva clear, indicating he has no intentions of letting the 28-year-old leave the club.

Pep Guardiola confirms Bernardo will not join Barcelona: “Bernardo Silva will stay at Manchester City – I’ve been clear”. 🚨🔵 #MCFC

“He’s irreplaceable with many things for us. He's so important Bernardo, can play in three, four or five positions”. pic.twitter.com/jgS3JxPopb

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 28, 2022

Guardiola is not changing his tune on Silva with just a couple of days remaining in the summer transfer window. Any hopes of Barcelona recruiting Silva to its ranks have been shot down following the latest comments from the Manchester City gaffer.

“Bernardo Silva will stay at Manchester City, I've been clear,” said Guardiola. “He's irreplaceable with many things for us. He's so important Bernardo, can play in three, four, or five positions for us.”

It's clear how important Silva is for Manchester City. The Premier League side loves his flexibility, which enables him to lineup on either wing or in the center of the pitch as an attacking midfielder. It's easy to see why Barcelona was so keen on bringing a player of his caliber to Camp Nou, however, Guardiola is insistent that Silva will not be leaving this summer.

If Barcelona hopes to swing a move for him, they'll have to wait until the winter transfer window at the earliest or hope they can pry him away next summer, possibly at a cheaper rate. For now, they'll have to work with the plethora of transfers they somehow managed to sign this summer, despite endless reports of financial woes.

Silva has been at Manchester City since 2017. He's made 170 Premier League appearances for the club, scoring 31 goals and assisting 29 during that span. This season, he's off to a hot start, netting two goals and an assist across Man City's first four games of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign.