Man City rule out Bernardo Silva transfer to Barcelona with chief insisting the ‘market is closed’

BERNARDO SILVA'S proposed move to Barcelona has been ruled out by Manchester City who insist the market is now closed.

The 28-year-old's been incessantly linked with a switch to the Nou Camp all summer.

It's been claimed that the Portuguese playmaker had agreed personal terms with the Catalan giants.

This was despite Barca and City not having worked out a deal for Silva.

Barca's hands have been tied financially due to their excessive outgoings, but they've since slashed their wage bill.

And they planned to launch a final bid for Silva after getting their business in order.

But the LaLiga outfit will have to hold fire on a Silva swoop for now, as City have declared that no more business will be conducted at the Etihad this summer.

When asked about Silva's move to Barca, Man City CEO Ferran Soriano said: “There are no discussions or talks for Bernardo Silva. There’s no Bernardo case.

“Manchester City market can be considered closed, it’s over.”

Silva got to see his potential future team-mates in action on Wednesday night when City took on Barca in a pulsating friendly game that ended 3-3.

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Chelsea targets Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Frenkie de Jong stole the show - bagging a goal each in the charity match that raised funds for the Fundacion Luzon - which was setup to find a cure for ALS.

De Jong was spotted swapping notes with Silva during the game, and it's possible they were comparing their respective leagues ahead of future moves in the opposite directions.