Should Liverpool try to sign Bernardo Silva? | OneFootball

Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are the clubs trying to sign Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva according to Fichajes.

Silva is looking for a change of scenery after five years in England and could leave City this summer. Jorge Mendes is working to move his client.

Barcelona have been making most of the noise about signing the 27-year-old, but they must first sell Frenkie de Jong to be able to finance any deal for the Portuguese midfielder.

They also have to put their house in order financially to be able to register any new signings.

PSG emerged as a contender for Silva’s signature last week. Sporting director Luis Campos brought Silva to AS Monaco from Benfica.

The Portuguese director is looking to use his past connections with his countryman to bring him to Paris.

Last on the list are Liverpool and a move there could make perfect sense.

Should Liverpool consider signing Bernardo Silva?

Yes. When a player of Silva’s quality is available in the market and attainable, you move for him. Silva’s multifunctionality makes him a brilliant player to have on any team.

Silva can operate out wide due to his dribbling and ability to make quick decisions. He can also operate through the middle as he can receive the ball excellently between the lines and retain it in incredibly tight spaces.

Liverpool have midfield issues. Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are out indefinitely, while Thiago Alcantara is out for six to eight weeks. The three men do not have the best injury record.

Club captain Jordan Henderson is 32, and James Milner is 36. New signing Fabio Carvalho can play through the middle but will need time to settle into his new environment.

Jurgen Klopp has been doing his best to paper over the cracks, but he may need to dip into the transfer market for reinforcement.

Liverpool were linked to Aurelien Tchouameni and Ibrahim Sangare earlier in the summer, but nothing materialised. Silva could be a smart option for the Reds as they look to challenge City on all fronts this season.

Silva has the energy to execute Klopp’s famous gegenpressing and is one of the most lethal players to lose the ball to in a counter press.

He is in the 99th percentile for progressive carrying in the top five European leagues compared to midfielders and forwards.

While his 2.91 progressive passes per 90 are dwarfed by Henderson’s 6.07, Silva has spent time on the wings, which could hamper his numbers in this department.

Silva is an expert at carrying the ball into dangerous areas, and his Premier League experience means he can slot in without needing time to adapt. He could slot in as a right-sided number eight (8) in Klopp’s 4-3-3, a role he has performed for Pep Guardiola.

He scored eight goals and created eight big chances in 35 Premier League appearances last season. He scored three goals and assisted three more in the Champions League, more than any of Liverpool’s midfielders.

Silva could provide an excellent midfield option for Klopp and ably deputise ably for Mohamed Salah.

At just 27, Klopp can extract a decent amount of years from him.

With Liverpool in dire need of midfield reinforcements, a player of Silva’s quality would revitalise the FA Cup winners by adding add verve and guile to their side.

Will City even consider selling to Liverpool?

While most big clubs make it a point not to sell to their direct rivals, City have shown they have no problem breaking the norm.

In addition to selling Raheem Sterling to Chelsea, City also sold Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal this summer. The Citizens have not shown any hesitance towards strengthening their rivals.

City have set a price of around £71.8 million for their Portuguese star and could accept an offer from the Merseyside club.

It remains to be seen if Liverpool will actually make a concrete move for Silva, but it is an option they should consider with the player available on the transfer market.