Romero: Bernardo Silva wants to leave and join Barcelona in the summer

With the summer transfer window almost here, the rumour mill has been churning out speculations non-stop.

Barcelona, who are staring at a hugely pivotal window, find themselves at the centre of a lot of these transfer stories as they look to build a team that can topple arch-rivals Real Madrid, who won the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

Even though manager Xavi Hernandez has a stocked midfield unit, he is still seeking to upgrade his options in the centre of the park, with Manchester City mainstay Bernardo Silva emerging as one of Barcelona's preferred targets.

The Portuguese international has been linked with the Catalan giants since last summer but a move did not materialise back then as he stayed at the Etihad and helped Manchester City win another Premier League title.

However, according to Gerard Romero, Silva could be ready to move on in the upcoming summer transfer window and would be open to the prospect of signing for Barcelona before the next season.

The 27-year-old, who was directly involved in 20 goals in the season gone by, is contracted with Man City until the summer of 2025. So, signing him would take a big financial effort on Barça's part, which is just not possible given the current economic conditions at the club.

So, any move for Silva in the summer would potentially be tied with the future of the Catalans' midfield mainstay, Frenkie de Jong. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from Camp Nou heading into the summer window, with Manchester United interested.

If Barcelona go ahead with the sale of the Netherlands international, it could pave the way for them to add Silva to their roster by generating funds and freeing up space on the wage bill.

So, while the Manchester City superstar may be willing to join Barça, the La Liga club must first get their affairs in order to stand a chance of landing him in the summer.